What the reviewers say: boygenius – the record
That Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus would reform as the supergroup boygenius seems inevitable given the rapturous reception which greeted their self-titled EP in 2018. Five years later, they’ve returned with the record, a debut that’s bursting with confidence, subtlety and knotty lyrics that’ll keep fan forums busy for years to come.
We love the album, but what does everyone else think? Check out our latest review round-up to find out exactly what leading music publications make of the record.
The Independent
5/5
‘In interviews, the indie supergroup comprising Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus have said that writing songs together has enabled them to be more “earnest” than in their solo material. This doesn’t mean that all 12 songs are straightforward confessionals. Most of them slot together with an appealing combination of simplicity and enigma – like those little puzzle cubes made of three types of wood. All the while, you can hear the careful questioning with which the songwriters have honed one another’s thoughts until they slot smoothly together to become satisfying tactile emotional experiences.’
(Words by Helen Brown)
Read The Independent’s full review here
NME
5/5
‘This debut is a gorgeous testament to what can happen when you allow yourself to fully be seen. Though each of the album’s 12 tracks could have fit nicely on one of their personal records, their work together takes on a brighter bolder existence, enabling them to light up individually and together at the same time. Bridgers, Dacus and Baker did the tedious work of getting to know each other artistically and collaboratively and then poured what they found out into the world. Now, we as listeners, get to benefit.’
(Words by Erica Campbell)
Rolling Stone
No rating
‘They’re simply a world-beatingly great band, with three of the most brilliant singer-songwriters in the game. Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus all came into boygenius with their own totally distinct styles, not to mention their own hardcore audiences, teaming up with a communal pass-the-mic spirit. They’ve finally dropped their long-awaited full-length debut with the record — but it’s even better than everybody had hoped.’
(Words by Rob Sheffield)
Read Rolling Stone’s full review here
Slant
2.5/5
‘”I just make it up as I go along,” Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker sing in harmony on “Emily I’m Sorry,” a track from Boygenius’s full-length debut, the record. While the trio — specifically Bridgers, who leads this particular song — are addressing a lover, they might as well be referring to the structural approach to many of the songs on the album, which feel shapeless and meandering.’
(Words by Charles Lyon-Burt)
Read Slant Magazine’s full review here
The Line Of Best Fit
8/10
‘The product of three bright musical minds with an enviably close connection, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus continue to bloom under their wry moniker. Following on from their debut self-titled EP released in 2018, the record is an unfiltered love letter to true friendship and intimacy in its many guises. Across 12 tracks, the trio extrapolate on everything from nearly drowning in the sea (“Anti-Curse”), gushing over genuine infatuation (“We’re In Love”), to unexpectedly long and meaningful road trips (“Leonard Cohen”).’
(Words by Kate Crudgington)
Read The Line Of Best Fit’s full review here
Stereogum
‘The songs on the record all sound big, even when they’re small. There are twinkling headrush rockers like “Not Strong Enough.” There are soft, skeletal ruminations like “Revolution 0.” There are out-and-out rockers like “Satanist.” The songs cohere, just like the voices do. The members of boygenius wrote these songs and constructed this album together, and they avoided the trap of making it sound like art by committee. There’s no one dominant voice on the record. Instead, the three members of boygenius found ways to mesh at album length. Every song on the record might not knock you on your ass, but the cumulative effect is really something.’
(Words by Tom Breihan)
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