- Creating a musical supergroup can be a daunting task. Not only do you have all of your own personal followers waiting for something new and exciting, but you also have the dedicated fans of the other members in the group waiting for the magic to happen. Will it be one member leading with the others providing backing, or will it be an even mix of all members? Luckily, American supergroup boygenius, comprised of indie-folk artists Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers, have found the perfect, happy medium in their self titled EP: a six-track record that not only highlights the respective strengths of all three artists, but also combines their musical attributes in a new and exciting way.
The record features songs written by all three members of the group, and crosses genres between folk and indie rock. Opening track Bite The Hand puts Dacus on vocals and also has more of her fuzzy guitar tones easing on into down-tempo indie rock. Me & My Dog is very much a Bridgers song: her minimal vocals and guitar lean towards a folkier vibe and wouldn’t be out of place on her solo record. However, these tracks have a shared quality which make this particular record so distinctive. Whilst seemingly written for their solo projects, they’re brought to life by influences from the other members of the band. This is what makes a super group, well, super! Everyone highlights the others' skills as a musician and amplifies their talent, rather than fighting with them for the spotlight.
Stay Down has the same vibe. Julien Baker’s vocals soar in a gut wrenching minor key, and her lyrics are riven with metaphor, likening a breakup to a physical altercation, twisting words in the way only Baker can. However, as the song progresses and transgresses, strong block harmonies and punchy, rolling drums kick in, picking things up in a way that you would not usually hear in Baker’s solo projects. It’s these small differences that carry boygenius; moving it past a mere collaboration into a different territory.
A supergroup collaboration can be just that - a collaboration project - but boygenius have taken it that one step further into a new dimension, creating a new band in its entirety. A musical project that’s a step away from everyone's solo projects. Similar without being overshadowing, but still close enough to their own style that it’s appealing for their fans. This record has the impressive songwriting and stellar vocals that you would expect from Bridgers, Dacus and Baker, with the added bonus of their expert musicality finding a perfect harmony.
- Olivia Shoesmith.