‘the record’ brings authenticity, reality to indie music genre

The supergroup "boygenius" consists of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker.

boygenius

The supergroup “boygenius” consists of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker.

Emma Siebold, Editor-in-Chief

After five years without any content, indie music fans thought they had seen the end of boygenius. However, the supergroup –Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus –s uddenly returned to the music scene with their new album “the record.”

Filled with heavy lyrics and rich vocals, “the record” is a perfect example of dark indie rock music. While Baker, Bridgers and Dacus all have albums and music careers of their own, the triumvirate’s voices melt into a mellow harmony that makes the listener feel as if they’re in their own coming-of-age film.

The song themes vary, but each makes you want to fall in love, scream at the top of your lungs and break something expensive (in that order). The most powerful lyrics stem from “Letter To An Old Poet”, the sister song to “Me & My Dog” from the band’s self-titled 2015 EP. Remembering the old album, the listener is teleported back to a time of the past and feels nostalgic and almost remorseful.

While “the record” pays homage to the artists’ past loves and lives, it also catalogs the fears of getting older. In “$20” and “Emily I’m Sorry”, the lyrics tackle money problems, adulthood and the fear of losing your inner child. The artists–all aging from 27 to 28 years old–illustrate their fears of reaching the milestone of 30.

While the original boygenius EP was relatively acoustic, “the record” vaguely disguises its depressing, self-effacive lyrics with a curtain of peppy rock music. Just when you think you’re listening to a happy playlist, you’re brought down to earth with lyrics that force you to stare reality in its face.

Despite its contradictions, “the record” encompasses the foundations of indie rock music: authenticity, uniqueness and complexity. The listener is first entertained by the catchy rhythms and beats, then mesmerized by the evoking, poetic lyrics of three talented female vocalists.