Boygenius — the supergroup consisting of three very talented singer-songwriters, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker — debuted in 2018, and earlier this year, the trio released their first studio album, “the record” — made up of 12 tracks.
Friday, Oct. 13, marked the release of “the rest,” — a four-song EP to complete the album and say goodbye to their current tour.
“On their own, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus are three accomplished singer-songwriters. Together, they’re a one-of-a-kind band powered by friendship, sick books and sicker songs,” Associate Managing Editor Angie Martoccio said in a cover story for Rolling Stone.
Each group member brought their own style to the EP, and as an avid listener and lover of the group, I had to stay up to listen to all four tracks!
1. Black Hole
Starting with a melancholic goodbye, “Black Hole” has Baker as the primary vocalist for this track. It is not a long song — clocking in at only two minutes and 21 seconds — but it sets the tone for the album.
It is a farewell for now. Baker’s voice is a great way to begin the song, as she has a knack for this style. Listening to Bridgers and Dacus’s voices blend for the second verse is beautiful — adding to that sense of dread from a goodbye, but wishing it a safe passage nevertheless.
2. Afraid of Heights
Next, we have “Afraid of Heights,” a heart-wrenching retelling of an undefined relationship built on fear, distrust and everything in between. Led by Dacus, this song feels like you’re stuck in an argument with no chance of winning.
It’s truly another gut-wrenching track to add to the list. The song is relatively simple and guitar-based, but it effectively expresses the emotion to listeners.
3. Voyager
Moving forward, “Voyager” has a similar output of emotions — with Bridgers leading this song for the group.
Listening to her small inhales between verses adds so much more emotion to the song — I could feel its weight on my chest throughout its entirety. With that amount of emotional impact, the song also manages to have a sense of selflessness and self-reflection.
4. Powers
“Powers” — the final song of the EP — is once again led by Baker. I find this one the most interesting of the four songs because it uses comic imagery to explain Baker’s origins. It’s an interesting view of how people become who they are, challenges and all.
While the EP as a whole is not a genre switch or anything entirely new for boygenius, the songs are beautiful additions to their discography. Each song felt like a personal poem from the artists.
And while there is only one stop left in boygenius’ tour — affectionately titled “the tour” — we will still see the group and their bond more often than ever before.
“I think that the closeness has been a pleasant surprise for all of us. Now that we’ve discovered it, we want to interact with it and protect it however we can. Originally, it was just a fun, lightweight idea. Now it’s my whole life,” Dacus said in an interview with The Recording Academy.
“the rest” is now available to stream on any music streaming service.
Rating: 4/5 stars
