It’s impossible to think of indie rock supergroups without Boygenius coming to mind, and that is reflected on their debut album The Record. Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker combine their own distinct music types to form a kind of music that exceeds all expectations. After their debut self-titled EP, the demand for more music has been huge. 

Something that is very special about Boygenius as a music group is that their music clearly highlights their individual strengths as well as how cohesive they are when performing in a group. This quality can be rare to find in other bands, but Boygenius does it effortlessly. This is especially true on the track “$20,” which was one of three lead singles. The pop-punk/rock track is different from the music the three create individually, yet it still feels so in tune to the people they are. The song begins with: “It’s a bad idea and I’m all about it,” and who better to sing that line than Boygenius?

The fifth track on the album, “Cool About It,” hits like a bag of bricks. The song follows three different gatherings after a break up. “Once I took your medication to know what it’s like,” Bridgers muses. “And now I have to act like I can’t read your mind / I ask you how you’re doing and I let you lie.” On the country-pop track “Not Strong Enough,” which is a sort of Boygenius version of Sheryl Crow’s “Strong Enough,” Dacus ends the song with, “Skip the exit to our old street and go home / Go home alone.” The music on this album is often lovelorn and vulnerable yet aggressive and exasperated at the same time. These emotions blend together so well on this album to form a messy, experimental, masterpiece that reflects how everyone feels at least sometimes.

The album includes both upbeat electric-guitar heavy jams as well as light, introspective acoustic guitar centered tracks. “Revolution 0” is akin to Bridger’s Punisher with the other band members forming wistful harmonies throughout the song. “I don’t want to die, that’s a lie,” Bridgers bluntly sings. The remarkable “Anti-Curse,” which Baker takes the lead in, covers the volatile feelings of love. “An incantation like an anti-curse / Or even a blessing,” Baker renders. A unique trait of Boygenius is that even if the subject matter of the song is incredibly depressing, which it is more often than not for Boygenius, it’s obvious while listening to the giddy nature of their voices that the three are having fun performing and working together. 

Overall, the combination of sublime lyricism and production value that Boygenius produces every time is unmatched. Both through their solo projects and as a group, Bridgers, Baker, and Dacus bring high quality music every single time. This supergroup has really lived up to the title with this album, and it is without a doubt that they will continue to create high quality music whether that be with solo projects or as a group. Boygenius has proven that they aren’t going away any time soon, and they’re definitely a force to be reckoned with in not only the indie music scene but in music as a whole.