Album Review: the record | boygenius

our favorite boyband.

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Boygenius, the American indie rock supergroup otherwise known as “the biggest boyband in the world” dropped their debut LP The Record at the end of March. On their own, Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers are three of the most highly renowned songwriters in the indie scene. But together, they are an incredibly unique, one-of-a-kind, kick-ass band.

Bridgers, Baker, and Dacus have been friends of each-others work for years and became friends. Constantly being compared to one another and growing increasingly frustrated with a “women in rock” label, the band formed in 2018 after a pipe dream gone right. The group was formed to reject this idea of women being pitted against each other and after agreeing to a co-headlining tour they got in the studio to record a single. After being overwhelmed with ideas, they wrote, recorded, and produced the Boygenius EP in 4 days. It was then that the Avengers of indie rock began to conquer the industry.

4 solo records later, we finally arrive at the full-length The Record. At its core, this album is about THE BOYS! It’s about friendship. It’s about how we need each other and how powerful the community is. They believe that the people around us shape who we are, and that's something to celebrate.

Check out our favorite tracks, listen to the album, and see our scores below:

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Can’t Miss: Not Strong Enough, True Blue, $20, Satanist

You Can Skip: Revolution 0, We’re In Love

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BY THE NUMBERS

• Bennett’s Score: 7.2

• Carson’s Score: 7.4

• Album Score: 15/20

• Average Track Score: 7.3

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Notes from Bennett:

I was a late bloomer to Phoebe Bridger’s solo work so naturally, I was not keen on boygenius much either. I’m really enjoying the record. $20 sets an excellent tone & served as a great tri?-lead-single. I love the main guitar riff and the fun melody that works with it. Also that bridge?!?! Screamo Phoebe?!?! Wild.

I think Cool About It is among the best songwriting found on the record. I didn’t it much mind until Phoebe’s verse became a minor hit on TikTok & thank goodness it did.

Not Strong Enough will definitely be in conversation at the end of the year when I think about my favorite songs of 2023. Nothing can beat that Lucy Dacus bridge. Speaking of, the bridges in general on this album are phenomenal.

Notes from Carson:

Without You Without Them is such a beautiful opener.

Not Strong Enough is almost a perfect track. The “always an angel, never a God” bridge puts you in a trance without boring you and the pseudo-country vibe really works. It feels like a song I'd known my whole life when I heard the chorus for the first time. This track, along with Satanist feels like the two songs on the record that really hone in on the individual strengths of all 3 women and blend them perfectly without one feeling left absent.

I know I might get some heat from this but We’re In Love is such a snooze. It’s of course heartbreaking and Lucy’s vocals are remarkable but in the landscape of the album, it feels out of place.