The Record
Boygenius
2023
A dark horse supergroup perfects the progression of folk and rock music to create an alternative regarded masterpiece that’s angering those who believe they don’t deserve the spot of being “the new faces” of those genres.
Lilith Fair Folk/Mall Rock
BY HARPSICHORD
FEBRUARY 4, 2024
On Gold Derby– a website that holds weight for allowing fans and critics to make their predictions on the nominations and winners for popular awards such as the Grammys and the Oscars– there is a forum that alleges blind responses from voting members on the 66th Grammys. On January 30, an account named “Boz” claims that one member gave their selections, including the category for Album of the Year. They interviewed a “middle-aged, male [who] leans Country/Americana/Rock.” This person, according to the account, has “been a voter for a while.” However it’s not clear for how long exactly.
The indie rock supergroup, Boygenius, is up for seven Grammy nominations– including Album of the Year for The Record . As a project, ‘The Record’ received universal acclaim upon its release. On Metacritic– a site that aggregates all eligible scores from reputable publications– the all female band’s LP received one of 2023’s highest at 90 out of 100. On the Billboard 200, the album landed at No. 4– consequently topping both the Folk and Rock Album charts.
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However when it came to his Gold Derby conversation, the blind ballot voter said that his vote went to Taylor Swift’s Midnights because of her ubiquity in the press and music world. He contends “none of these nominees are Album of The Year worthy,” and that he “found it to be a very weak year for mainstream albums.” He specifically calls out The Record, which happens to have the second best odds on Gold Derby as the potential winner– only behind Swift’s Midnights.
“Boygenius’ record can be considered decent,” confesses the voter. “But I am dissatisfied at how artists like them or Fiona Apple who are making such dull music are seen as the face of rock music.” Then in what many will perceive to be misogynist talking points, the voter– who let’s not forget is “a middle-aged male – proclaims the trio is “taking spots over actual rock musicians like the Foo Fighters or Springsteen.” For the record, The Foo Fighters are nominated for both Best Rock Performance and Rock Song. However, unlike Boygenius, the legendary band is not nominated for Album and Record of the Year.
As an album, The Record evokes a certain nostalgia of the long history of alternative rock music. Fronted by all three women acting as leads on individual songs, Boygenius consists of Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers. Out of all the members, Bridgers is the most crossover of the trio. She’s also the only to be previously nominated for Grammys as a soloist– including Best New Artist in 2021. For the 2024 telecast– in addition to her efforts with Boygenius– she received an additional nomination for Best Pop/Duo Group Performance alongside SZA for “Ghost In The Machine.”
When it comes to critiquing group projects as just a fan, the petty game of claiming who is the shining star takes place. While all women shine equally and showcase their unique brilliances, it’s clear to see why Phoebe Bridgers has garnered more attention amongst peers who debuted around the same time as her. Bridgers lends a pop-appealing voice to the project– and because of that (and editorially speaking, the tastes of Harpsichord Zine), her songs where she leads are the standouts on the album.
“Emily, I’m Sorry” is the standout moment on The Record because of its personal attachment. It’s a somber ballad that recounts a conversation Bridgers shares with her ex-girlfriend, Emily Bannon. Bannon and Bridgers shared a consensual polyamorous, bisexual relationship with Chris Nelson. Both women decided to break up with Nelson due to alleged abuse from Nelson, but decided to remain in a relationship with one another. Through that relationship, which was seen as “a north star” to Bridgers (according to the song’s lyrics), it is slowly unraveled “she called me a f*ckin’ liar.”
Because of its personal attachment, “Emily, I’m Sorry” is vulnerable and earnest. It sheds the skin of someone who doesn’t know who they truly are, but contemplates on what they want– a theme that all the women connect on. Through an acoustic folk guitar– and intergalactic soundwaves– the song recalls the spirit of what made Lilith Fair Pop Rock resonate in the late ‘90s. It’s the new age of that sound where women were able to delve into their inner feelings of fighting for autonomy. “I’m 27, and I don’t know who I am,” cries Bridgers- with an accompanying hum that channels that loss in the midst of the battle.
Much of The Record walks a tightrope of forging progressive folk with the ideations of traditional music. The opener, “Without You Without Them,” is an acapella that models after Appalachian folk music’s origins. There is a round sung by all three members, as Lucy Dacus leads with “speak to me.” All three women take their turns giving anecdotal feelings about moving on from past loves they “want to forget” on the Grammy-nominated “Cool About It” (which is nominated for Best Alternative Music Performance). “Cool About It” succinctly rings to the appeal of the Plain White T’s 2006 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit, “Hey There Delilah.”
On “Leonard Cohen,” which is aptly named after a line from the legendary folk artist’s 1992 song, “Anthem.” The sliding of a guitar pick over its strings adds to the song, where Dacus is once against the lead vocalist. The song discusses being lost– and when the ladies feel like they have their journey figured out, they cleverly quip “and I’m not an old man having an existential crisis/At a Buddhist monastery writing horny poetry” as a nod to Cohen’s songwriting legacy.
The other portion of The Record pushes through more modernized spins on mall rock. “$20,” “Anti-Curse,” and “Satanist” acts as grunge akin to Liz Phair– resonating as comfortable pieces for Julien Baker. “True Blue” meshes the sunshine vibes of Sheryl Crow and the drawn out melodies of the Indigo Girls– taking after the assumed inspirations of Dacus, and her themes of unconditional love as explored on her 2021 album, Home Video . While “Revolution 0,” is a feminist take of The Beatles, with Bridgers fantasizing about exacting revenge on someone who has hurt someone she’s loved. It’s accented by a three-part “ah ah ah” bridge that manages to guide the song to a new dimension.
A bulk of Boygenius’s Grammy nominations are for the central track, “Not Strong Enough.” The song which is the most Lilith Fair of them all, is nominated for Best Rock Performance, and a dark horse in Record of the Year. The most singles-appealing of all the tracks, it draws a luster that mainly Colbie Caillat perfected in the late 2000’s. All three ladies fight against the notion of living up to others’ expectations. It’s inspired by Sheryl Crow’s 1994 single– with them singing in the chorus “Not strong enough to be your man.” And in the bridge they confront that truth further: “Always an angel, never a god.” Just like the album’s theme– sometimes love can bring out those realizations.
“Emily, I’m Sorry” for being the track that stays on repeat for how personal the tale is and the sheer beauty of the melodies.
“True Blue” for the brilliance of Lucy Dacus’s pen that captures the sentiments of ‘80s lite-FM in its sweetest, purest form.
“Revolution 0” for the bridge.
“Leonard Cohen” for being a witty personal tale about how the ladies got lost on a road trip, while also giving a subtle history lesson on folk music.
“Not Strong Enough” for being a catchy record that grounds the whole central theme of the album.
Key Tracks
When it comes to their chances at the Grammys– they will either have a super successful ceremony, or a dull one. While this album is an acquired taste for those who enjoy the evolution of folk, it could be a dull listen for those angered about the catchiness of women who do rock. What makes ‘The Record’ stand out is how evenly distributed the music is between all the women. They each play an equal part with enhancing ‘The Record’ – making the LP holistic by multiple listens’ end.