Following the release of her second album, “Punisher”, in 2020, Phoebe Bridgers stepped away from solo music to focus on other projects, most famously releasing an album and touring with indie rock supergroup “Boygenius.” However, earlier this year, rumors began circling about a potential third solo album from Bridgers. These rumors became solidified when Bridgers began hosting secret pop-up shows around the country this spring. The pop-up shows allowed fans to hear “Lost Weekend” prior to its release, with Bridgers performing new songs acoustically to an audience where no phones or video taping was allowed. Bridgers then went public about her third solo album, including an announcement about the release of the album’s single “Lost Boys” which was to come out on June 25th. Bridgers also conducted planetarium listening experiences and record store release parties, giving fans yet another chance to hear the album before its release on August 14th.
“Lost Weekend” opens with “The Outside”, a techno-esque track with devastating lyrics. Bridgers always has a way of coating sadness in sarcasm, and she proves this to be a strength of hers yet again with the lines of, “Crying in a suit and tie/but you should see the other guy.” “The Outside” shows listeners that this album is rooted in dissociations, grief, and newfound love.
The single “Lost Boys” follows as the second track on the album. This one is more upbeat in terms of Bridgers’ discography, displaying a step outside of the “sad-girl music” box many fans have put her in. This, in my opinion, was the perfect song to be the single for the album.
Next up are “Kill me” and “The Governor’s Waltz”, two back-to-back gut punches.”Kill Me” not only gives us insight in Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker’s loving relationship, “My boys are getting married”, but to Bridgers’ dissociation throughout the album, “Costume party/when the veil was thinning.” This track also gives us vocals by Cameron Winter and the first mention of “Bobby.” Bobby, of course, refers to Bridgers’ romantic partner, Bo Burnham.
“The Governor’s Waltz” was an immediate fan favorite on the album. Many speculate that the song is about Bridgers’ previous engagement to Paul Mescal, with nods to Mescal’s new girlfriend, Gracie Abrams. All that aside, some of my personal favorite lines from the album come from this song, “So let’s see how long we can go without talking” and “Being myself wasn’t easy/do it for me.”
“Bobby” picks up the mood with its upbeat song and love-filled lyrics. Through this song, fans really get to see Bridgers’ express how happy her current relationship makes her, specifically in the lines “Bobby/this could be the end of wanting.” Thanks for treating our girl right, Bo.
The title track, “Lost Weekend” sits as the 6th song on the album. Bridgers’ voice reaches out to listeners like light in the darkness. This is a beautiful melody about grief and heartbreak, “You know me, and I’ll never forgive you for that.” Title tracks are always so important to me (Exhibit A- Evermore by Taylor Swift) and Bridgers’ hit the nail on the head with this one.
Without any other way to describe it, “Haunted” is a banger. With vocals from Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, and Jack Antonoff, there was no way this song wasn’t going to be one of my favorites. Listening to it feels like road tripping with your best friends, and there’s something almost familiar about the backtracks. The last lines of this song are perfect, “You won’t have to open a heart that’s broken/water’s gonna flow in either way/my heart is growin’ either way.”
“Panorama” plays into the dissociative themes of the album. While there are only 5 lines, the imagery of this track does wonders for the work as a whole. Jake Minch also has a hand in this piece, as the last lines come from his own song “Twice.” Right after this almost eerie vibe of a song, comes my favorite track on the whole album, “Still Standing.”
“Still Standing” is more than a song about resilience, it’s an ode to life, loss, and everything in between. This track digs its heels into Bridgers’ rocky relationship with her father. “Still Standing” highlights Bridgers’ superpower of explaining relatable feelings in ways that no one has yet to express them in. She ends the song with a powerful chorus, “I wasn’t too young to understand/I just didn’t think it was so bad/And it wasn’t, in a way/And now there is nothing/Your back to the ocean, burning red/I can’t imagine you dead/But you are every day/Thank you for everything.” This is a truly powerful piece of art, and it has stuck with me since the first time I heard it.
Next up on the album is “Liberty Tree.” Fun fact, the Liberty Tree Mall, which inspired this song, is 15 minutes away from my house! Bo Burnham is from the same area as I am (shoutout north shore Massachusetts) so the couple are no strangers to my neck of the woods. The song itself is wonderful, almost as if to depict the adrenaline that comes with falling in love, “But you look like you mom/in this picture of us/falling in love that night.”
“Never Going Back!” is such an intricate piece of art. First of all, you have Bridgers repeating this mantra of, “Never going back again/the way it used to be is not the way that it is.” This song feels like all-thing letting go and being free, such as sticking your head out of a car windy and feeling the wind blow through your hair. But after the mantra dies down, in comes a voicemail from Bridgers’ late father, “Hey Phoebe, it’s your dad.” Again, Bridgers shows her own journey through grief with this track, and it is hauntingly beautiful.
“Other Plans” and “Lost Parade” act as a way for the listener to slow down and enjoy the experience of the album. “Other Plans” is a heartbreaking ballad with lines like, “I was gonna show you colors you had never seen/and leave you alone.” “Lost Parade” follows as an interlude with carnival-like instrumentals, bringing the album together and highlighting its whirlwind of emotions.
Picking up the tempo, “I Can’t Wait” sits as the 14th track of the album. Cameron Winter harmonizes with Bridgers’ at the end of the track, adding an extra layer to Bridgers’ already perfect voice. This leads us into “As Above”, which is in my top 3 songs of the album. Not only does Bridgers’ sound incredible, this track features some of the most crushing lyrics, “You won’t have to believe in magic/leave it to me and I’ll make it happen.” As someone who is going to see Bridgers’ in concert, I can’t wait to hear this song performed live.
To close out the album, the final song is “Lost Weekend (Reprise).” This track completes the work entirely, and Bridgers’ is so vulnerable within her lyrics, “He’s not coming back as a bird/he’s not coming back.” Bridgers’ grief hums throughout the background of every song on the album, and her ability to allow listeners into that experience with her is truly one of a kind.
After years without hearing new solo work, anticipation for “Lost Weekend” was extremely high. Phoebe Bridgers put her all into this album, and it is evident in the roll out, the production, and the lyricism. Bridgers’ music is maturing, and “Lost Weekend” is evidence that it’s okay to grow, love, grieve, and most importantly, start to heal.