Introduction
the record is the fourth album to be reviewed for Grammy week, being nominated for Album of the Year and Record of the Year. Rumors began swirling for this debut album in late 2022 to early 2023. They began picking up when boygenius was announced to be on the 2023 Coachella lineup in January 2023. Later that month, the official announcement for the album came, with the releasing of the three lead singles. Those singles include: “$20,” “Emily I’m Sorry,” and “True Blue.” The album was released on March 31, and the album picked up since. the record topped the charts in Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The album also peaked at number four on the Billboard 200. This project was a wonderful debut project, and it cemented boygenius into the mainstream music industry.
Vocal Performance
The vocals of boygenius are certainly the best aspect of the group. The way their voices can be present alone or together, and they still can match the needed tone or tempo is impressive. Whether it is Phoebe Bridgers bellowing her vocals, Dacus’ outstanding vocal control, or Baker’s carrying of certain notes, it sounds great. As I had stated, the way all three can carry the notes they need and demonstrate complete control of their voices is amazing. Bridgers completely reminds me of Taylor Swift, as her voice is certainly one of the best in the industry. Listening to “Letter To An Old Post” or “Revolution 0,” where Bridgers’ vocals are front and center, completely reminded me of a song off of Folklore, or other Swift projects.
Moving to Dacus, while I believe she is the weak link of the band, she certainly is not a bad singer. She holds her own on the tracks she sings on. Similarly, Baker does the same. Baker is often seen carrying notes at the end of lines to emphasize certain words. She also is heard in a faster pace when singing, especially in a track like “Cool About It.” Take all their abilities together, and you get wonderful performances on songs like “Not Strong Enough,” where the band sings the chorus together. It is these moments where the diversity excels the tracks this takes place in.
Production
Production is certainly another highlight of the record. While some of the songs feature similar instruments or sounds, they are woven together in completely different natures. Many of the tracks, nearly all, feature some sort of a guitar playing. While typically acoustic guitars were used, there is evidence of an electric guitar played on the track, “Satanist.” Drums are also apparent throughout the project, and they are played in all different tempos. Often within the tracks, the band changes tempos mid-song, and the drums take the charge in this switch. Piano playing is also very apparent, although used scarcely. When utilized, it provides quite the diversity, as the piano notes are used quick and in succession.
One of the best production tactics utilized by boygenius, which I talked about a little bit in vocals, is the switching of the singers. Often times, there is a switch from an individual singer to a unified part. While this takes place mostly in the chorus, songs like “Anti-Curse” and “Cool About It,” utilize this tactic for one word at the end of lines. The band sounds terrific, and these diversions fit seamlessly within the tracks. The diversion is also seen constantly in the bridges of the tracks, with a climax building leading back into a solo.
Meaning / Storytelling
While most of the songs carry little to no meaning (or basic meanings), some of the tracks take more of an emotional toll. “Emily I’m Sorry” is a perfect example of such as the track was written for a person named, you guessed it: Emily. Emily Bannon, a producer and voiceover actor, was in a relationship with Bridgers and Chris Nelson, and the track was written to her. “$20” features an introspective perspective on one’s life and how they must persevere through their hardships. Furthermore, “Not Strong Enough” was directly influenced by Simon & Garfunkel vocalist, Paul Simon, and focuses on a relationship that is deteriorating. Other themes explored here include finding oneself and trust, unconditional love, falling in love, and the importance of friendship.
Conclusion
the record was a wonderful debut to the group known as boygenius. The trio of Bridgers, Baker, and Dacus provides an excellent listen to every song on the album. Their vocal prowess is on full display, as they blend perfectly together, as well as when they sing solo. Production levels and storytelling is also on point, as they excel in certain collections of their vocals. They also excel in their instrumentals, whether breaking up instrumentation, their diverse utilization of instruments, or their outstanding collaboration of different sounds.
Song Rankings
- “Not Strong Enough”
- “Letter To An Old Post”
- “Revolution 0”
- “Emily I’m Sorry”
- “Satanist”
- “Anti-Curse”
- “True Blue”
- “$20”
- “Cool About It”
- “Without You Without Them”
- “Leonard Cohen”
- “We’re In Love”
Strongest Track
The strongest track is without a doubt “Not Strong Enough.” The vocal performance on this track is arguably the best of the 12 tracks, with the breaking up of the sections being the highlight. Again, the way the vocals shift from Bridgers to both Bridgers and Baker to only Baker sounds amazing. The tempo increases of the instrumental also adds to the tone set in the choruses. The bridge sounds fantastic as it builds to a climax just to fall right back down into a calmer chorus. Everything done with this song hits the right mark, sailing it high across the project’s other tracks.
Weakest Track
The weakest track goes to “We’re In Love.” While I love Dacus’ vocals on some tracks, this one falls flat to me. Between her vocal performance and the mere absence of the instrumental, the song is very bland. The acoustic opening sounds great, however, that’s about all there is to this song. It is, however, by no means a bad song, just the clear weakest on this project.
Final Notes
As always, take the reviews as opinion pieces. Not everyone will share the same views. As for these opinions, leave them below to share your thoughts. We also suggest subscribing to our emails to keep up to date with posts. To do so, go under the tab “Contact” and fill out the contact form. This will allow you to receive weekly emails of recaps. Finally, go give the record a listen for yourself.