Boygenius’ EP “The Rest” - A tranquil capstone to “The Record”
This week Boygenius released “The Rest,” a new EP via Interscope that brings the supergroup’s debut LP “The Record” to a peaceful yet powerful end.
The four songs clock in at a lean 12 minutes, but there’s room enough for each member’s signature sound: Julien Baker’s plaintive, guitar-driven croons; Lucy Dacus’ reflective, masterful poetry; and Phoebe Bridgers’ chilling, arresting melodies.
“Black Hole,” which the group debuted in Boston in September, opens with a single note and Baker’s clear soprano, giving way to a cacophonous drum undertow carrying a three-part harmony. The song’s title recollects “Not Strong Enough” from “The Record” as Baker ponders a supermassive black hole that creates stars in its wake. Perhaps in this metaphor, she sees a ray of hope in rebirth after destruction: “Bad boy / big fight / you’re a good guy.”
Dacus’ sensitive lyrics in “Afraid Of Heights” show her firm in her values despite social pressure and dramatic dogmatism. The concrete imagery of “I know you never liked a townhouse / I’ve seen you climb a crane at night” combines with slide guitars and soft harmonies to give the song a tangible, serene Americana feel. There’s a maturity here - one that comes only from experience, from setting boundaries and learning to say no.
In “Voyager,” Bridgers returns to one of her favorite metaphors: outer space. Her delicate vocals and characteristic macabre lyrics (“When you stepped on the gas and you / Asked if I’m ready to die”) hint at a relationship that was never what it appeared. “You took it from me / but I would have given it to you,” gives a resigned finality to its end.
Final track “Powers” expands from the astrophysics of “Black Hole” into other physics realms, the nuclear (Did I fall into / A nuclear reactor) and particle (There’s no object to be seen / In the supercollider) variety. Not even her own superhero origin story can interfere with Baker’s tendency toward self-loathing: “Crawl out with acid skin / Or somethin’ worse / A hostile alien ambassador.” Yet she finishes on what might be a positive note: “The force of our impact, the fission / the hum of our contact, the sound of our collisions” could represent connections with each other, especially with her two close friends and collaborators.
Each song shines with simplicity, paintbrush strokes in the canvas of Boygenius, perhaps pale gold, purple and blue like the album’s sunset cover art. It shows a softer side of the boys - a group of geniuses ready, as their tour ends this month, for a well-earned rest.
Standout Track: “Powers”
Memorable Lyric: “I never rode a motorcycle / I never smoked a cigarette / I wanna live a vibrant life / But I wanna die a boring death”
Listen for: Bridgers’ tranquil fingerpicking in “Voyager”