The Boygenius musical release timeline is disappointing as a fan, to say the least. Their self-titled, 6-track EP was released in 2018, featuring the soft ballad ‘Souvenir’, rough rock classic ‘Salt in The Wound’, and acoustic masterpiece ‘Ketchum ID’. The band, composed of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker, then went off to do their own projects though they collaborated on many songs in the process.
Finally, in March of 2023, they released their first studio album The Record, which featured the previously released singles “$20”, “Emily I’m Sorry”, “True Blue” and “Not Strong Enough”.
Following the release of the album, the band set off on tour. The tour technically ended on October 2nd at Madison Square Garden, though the band is performing at the Hollywood Bowl on October 31st,
Then we get The Rest, which we can assume is an EP of songs that didn’t make it onto their studio album.
One thing Boygenius does incredibly well is being a band. There is such genuine support and love for each other that shines through not only in their friendship but also in their music. Every song may feature one artist more than the others, but everyone remains prominent throughout the track and every release equally gives them a chance to shine.
Another thing they do incredibly well is lyricism. Bridgers, Dacus and Baker have all been known to have an incredible ability to blend metaphor and blatant statements to create heart-hitting pieces of music.
That being said, this EP is no different. The saddest part of the EP is that these songs didn’t make it onto the album. However, it feels like a perfect way to end this era of Boygenius. ‘Black Hole’ is Baker’s feature, ‘Afraid of Heights’ being Dacus’ feature, and ‘Voyager’ being Bridgers’. ‘Powers’, the final song, is surprisingly led by Baker. However, on stage at MSG Baker told the crowd that the band “have given me my voice back”, so it’s nice to hear her featured on tracks.
‘Black Hole’ holds one of the most interesting musical accompaniments on the album, showcasing Baker’s love for the music. ‘Afraid of Heights’ is classic Lucy Dacus, with lyricism coming to the forefront and a soft guitar and clapping for percussion. Even the title ‘Voyager’ screams of Phoebe Bridger’s essence: a soft guitar, heartbreaking lyrics, and a melody that doesn’t match the music, but beautifully flows with it.
The final song on the album ‘Powers’ is a beautiful wrap-up track. It’s a storytelling song, something the band does often and well. It tells a classic superhero origin story with an acoustic strum and an instrumental that feels cosmic (and a little Bridgers-like). The last line of the song, and the album, is sung by Baker and goes “The force of our impact, the fission / The hum of our contact, the sound of our collisions.”
Baker explained this line in an interview with the Grammy’s, saying she kind of stole it from Cruising Utopia, a book by José Esteban Muñoz. She explains that to her it means “…you look back and realize that you’ve spent your life with people that have become like your family and they’ve been the driving force in what motivates you. It’s small, daily and powerful,” perfectly encapsulating what Boygenius is all about.
It’s a small EP. And it is bittersweet, almost reminding us that this era of the band has, most likely, come to an end. But with three insanely talented individuals such as this band, there is definitely more to come. Whether that is solo projects or more from the band, Boygenius isn’t over.