Boygenius Album Reviews

Female solo artists Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, and Phoebe Bridgers had never all been in the same room together when they decided to form a band. The three had collaborated on tours – Dacus and Bridgers had both opened for Baker. The trio took umbrage at constant comparisons to each other – they all have different styles, with Dacus more rock-orientated, Baker raw and emotional, and Bridgers pristine and poised. They released their debut EP, Boygenius, in 2018, with a cover riffing on Crosby, Stills & Nash.

Introduction

While the three members of Boygenius took another half of a decade to release their debut album, they continued to collaborate. They recorded a bunch of songs together in a single day in 2020, which ended up on solo projects – ‘Graceland Too’ and ‘I Know the End’ from Bridgers’ Punisher, Baker’s ‘Favor’, and Dacus’s ‘Please Stay’ and ‘Going Going Gone’. They also recorded vocals together for Hayley Williams‘ Petals for Armor.

Their full-length debut, The Record, arrived in 2023, one of the most acclaimed records of its year. It was followed by the brief EP The Rest.

Boygenius Album Reviews

Boygenius (EP)

2018, 7.5/10
The cover of Boygenius’s debut album is a tribute to Crosby, Stills, and Nash‘s 1969 debut, complete with couch. With three distinct personalities, they sound full of vitality when they sing in tandem. The three named their project Boygenius after a type of self-confident male they’d all encountered in the music business.

boygenius is a six-song EP; each of the writers bought in a completed song. The opening rocker ‘Bite The Hand’ is from Dacus, ‘Me & My Dog’ is from Bridgers, while ‘Stay Down’ is one of my favourite Baker tunes. The three worked on each other’s incomplete ideas, enjoying the mutually supportive environment.

It’s difficult for an EP to make the same impression as an album, but these songs are strong and it’s a great taster for three talented writers.

The Record

2023, 8.5/10
American singer-songwriters Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers, and Julien Baker already pooled their talents on a 2018 EP. Five years later they’re back together for a fully-fledged album. The trio sing beautifully together, and they have three different personalities. Their full-length debut isn’t perfect but it’s full of charisma and there is a core of great songs.

The a capella opening track recalls a more traditional vocal group, like The Roches. There are neat classic rock references – ‘Cool About It’ sounds like it was derived from Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘The Boxer’, while ‘Leonard Cohen’ references the artist’s famous line, “”There’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”

The amount of group participation varies – ‘True Blue’ is excellent, but it’s differentiated from a Dacus solo record by the presence of Bridgers’ and Baker’s harmonies. The most successful songs often feel more collaborative – ‘Not Strong Enough’, with its coda of ‘Always an angel, never a god.” Baker benefits from the collaboration, hitting a more muscular and immediate sound.

The Record is often excellent, three talented musicians pooling their resources for more attention and stronger harmonies.

The Rest (EP)

2023, not rated
In indie rock, it’s been Boygenius’s year. The conglomerate of singer-songwriters Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, and Phoebe Bridgers have received a acclaim for The Album, one of the most celebrated releases of 2023.

The trio followed it with the recently released victory lap, The Rest. A four-song EP, it’s so brief that it struggles to make much impression in its twelve minutes of running time. But it’s enjoyable, with the trio sharing vocals on ‘Black Hole’ before presenting individual tracks. Of the individual tracks, my favourite is Baker’s ‘Powers’, typically intense.

The Rest is too brief to make a big impression, but it’s a worthy appendix to The Record.

Best Boygenius Songs

True Blue
Not Strong Enough
Cool About It
Stay Down
Powers