“The Record”
Boygenius’s debut album is lovingly familiar yet shows the band’s ever-evolving intimacy with each other and their audience in a new and exciting way.
By Caroline Ray
After much anticipation, Boygenius has released their debut album, “The Record,” but to a mixed response. While Rolling Stone has given it the prestigious stamp of an “instant classic,” fans have been outspoken about their disappointment, with a particularly cutting Twitter review calling it “chatbox music to be sold in the vinyl section at Urban Outfitters.” The internet is divided between devotional love for their favorite indie girl band and disappointment at what they deem a mediocre sell-out album.
As a long-time fan of all three artists, I couldn't help but love it. While perhaps nothing revolutionary, the album is Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus doing what they do best: cutting and sharp lyricism combined with haunting vocals and clean instrumentals, all with simple precision and heart. The band has lost some of the grittiness and existential dread that defined their self-titled EP, Boygenius while evolving into a more polished and mature sound that reflects their personal and professional growth.
The album holds the same emotional depth that Boygenius is known for while evading the youthful despair of previous releases. The tenderness of the album reflects the connection between the members and speaks to the universal pains of maintaining long-term relationships, specifically female friendships. In the standout song of the album “True Blue,” the three musicians belt in sorrowful harmony, “But it feels good to be known so well.” Like the rest of the album, “True Blue” contrasts the love and pain of intimacy, growing apart, and coming back together in its uniquely strange and beautiful way.