Phoebe Bridgers
Phoebe Bridgers destroys everything she touches. In the best way possible. The California native has left one hell of a path of destruction in her recent whirlwind years of fame. From her solo work to the Better Oblivion Community Center to boygenius, Phoebe introduced something new to music, bursting onto the scene as a renovated, medicated Gen-Z-friendly female Elliott Smith of the modern era. She is rawer than most. Braver than most. Funnier than most. Sadder than most. With her guitar and way for words, she envelops her in her darkness but somehow always helps us find the light. How closely she embraces pain helps it move through us. The focus of her writing is microscopic, but the feelings she evokes through sound are so very macro. The scale of emotions she is able to create is so vast. And while she has a distinct sound, her songs remain distinct from one another, unlike some of the peers she is often compared to (i.e. Lana del Rey).
Stranger in the Alps (2017)
I really don’t know how Phoebe Bridgers did this. I can’t imagine the suffering someone has to have endured to produce a record like this right out of the gate. Stranger In The Alps stirs feelings I didn’t even know I had within me. Her ability to shape atmospheres via heavy whirring, steel guitar, catchy little drum snares, and soft acoustic strings is really, truly other-worldly. There is no way this record does not destroy you.
boygenius (2018)
A visionary first record for boygenius. The trio worked better beyond what I could have imagined. Between Lucy bewitching you with the (slightly akward) charm of her stories, Julien dazing you with her slowburn vocals, and Phoebe breaking your heart, boygenius makes us feel close to the three artists, who have created a space where they build on eachother’s talent and make up for eachother’s blind spots.
Better Oblivion Community Center (2019)
While perhaps not the most original project ever, BOCC is interesting in that it is neither perfectly Bridgers nor Conner Oberst (Bright Eyes). The build-up of songs like Sleepwalkin’ and My City combined with the industrial electronic elements to songs like Exception To The Rule keep the album feeling fresh and avoid monotony. Overall, the writing is pretty damn outstanding (Big Black Heart is particularly beautiful), making it a timeless indie record to return to.
Punisher (2020)
A record that very likely changed the course of my life. Somehow, Phoebe’s darkness on Punisher pulled me out of my own. In the beauty of her art, I found the strength to create my own meaning in life. While there are actually more skips on this album for me than there are on Stranger In The Alps, the highs and lows achieved on Punisher make it a greater and more dynamic album overall.
the record (2023)
The artistic jump from the self-titled record to this one was so tremendous. Out of their comfort zone on the record, boygenius is pushed into the extremes. Playing it less safe leaves the band sounding imperfect at times, but also gave us with some of the best indie songs of the year (True Blue, Cool About It, Not Strong Enough), as well as some of the saddest songs we’ve seen from the trio (We’re In Love, Letter To An Old Poet).
the rest (2023)
While no where near as good as the record, the rest left us with: “You thought I’d never leave and I let you believe you were right.” And goddamn, that’s enough.
