Punisher - Phoebe Bridgers: Review
is an LA based indie rock singer-songwriter who released her debut record back in 2017. Since then the record has received critical acclaim and she has been a part of a number of high profile collaborations that grew her profile in a major way before the lead up to Punisher.
Review By Lavender:
I heard Phoebe's debut record Stranger In The Alps back in 2017 when it first came out and I thought it was a pretty decent but I could have never predicted the next three years for her. At the tail end of 2018 Phoebe teamed up with a pair of other folk diagonal artists in Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus to form boygenius and release a pretty damn good EP. The collab that really grabbed my attention however was next years Better Oblivion Community Center. A project fronted by Phoebe alongside Conor Oberst front-man of legendary 2000's folk band Bright Eyes. Not only is a cosign from an artist of Conor's caliber impressive for anybody but I also enjoyed the record the pair put out quite a bit. So going into her second record there we're a lot more people paying attention to Phoebe and honestly she was up to the task.
The era was kicked off with a trio of singles and I think they all have something to bring to the table. Garden Song is the first proper track on the record and it is the most lowkey of the singles. Not only do I enjoy Phoebe's sweet voice delivering charming lyricism throughout but I love the deep bellowing backing vocals on the hook that add another dimension to the song and I quite like it. Kyoto is a much more up-tempo indie rock sounding cut that features Nathaniel Wallcott of Bright Eyes delivering some slick and catchy backing horns. It is a catchy jam despite blending in with a lot of contemporary indie rock that sounds very similar. The final single ICU may be my favorite of the bunch and it is a middle ground between the two songs that preceded it. The percussion on the song is much more frontal than on most of the other songs here and it gives the track a driving energy that I really enjoy. When Phoebe's vocals swell up on the songs high point the result is sonic fireworks that make for some of the records most memorable refrains.
The highlights don't end with the singles however because I loved a few more songs on the record starting with Halloween. Not only are the simple plucky strings beautiful but the distant pervasive percussion also gives the song a big boost. Conor Oberst turns up in the songwriting credits here as well as a few other songs so it shouldn't surprise you that the lyrical metaphor on display here is really strong. Using the idea of Halloween costumes in relation to intimacy and as an excuse to stop hiding who you are is something that I love and makes for a detailed spectacular song. Chinese Satellite isn't my favorite song here mainly because the verses drag on but they work their way towards a fantastic hook. The first part of the chorus kicks off with a surprisingly deep array of instrumentation that fits perfectly with the songs uptick in energy. Where as the second half replaces this with a fragile angelic vocal harmony before re-introducing the drums and bass in the post-chorus. It is a great decision that keeps the track refreshing and interesting throughout.
The record ends off with a pair of my favorite tracks here starting with Graceland Too a straight up folk cut that channels boygenius, mainly because both Julien and Lucy appear on the song with backing vocals. I think the song is good and it reminds me of tracks I enjoyed from the EP while managing to remain primarily a Phoebe song. I Know The End is a spectacular closer that is thematically sharp as it takes on themes both political and personal in a way that holds nothing back. The real amazing moment is in the finale when almost all of the records collaborators come together for a huge moment of finality for the record. The song ends with a wild blend of densly arranged instrumentation alongside vocals from numerous different collaborators and what sounds like a nearly screamed performance from Phoebe. The moment stands out a ton on the record and helps make the track one of the most interesting here and a perfect closer.
Savior Complex is a gentle push and pull style folk cut with a quiet but detailed instrumental arrangement. The pacing is a big of an issue as the second half of the track is so much more concise and worthwhile than the wandering first half. The song doesn't so much have a build-up as it just randomly jumps up a huge boost in energy kind of out of nowhere. Moon Song is an old school folk track from a songwriting perspective that features no real hook. The backing instrumental is sweet and dreamy in a way that reminds me a lot of some of the more lowkey cuts from Japanese Breakfast. I appreciate the display of talent put into the song but parts of the track are huge lulls that get really dragged out and I think if you stripped the track back to its essentials it could be really good because there are some beautiful moments. The title track Punisher is a dreamy ballad backed primarily by a very feint key presence. Phoebe's vocals here definitely have some more auditory fuzz seeped into their recording here than any other track on the record and while I don't outright hate the decision I do think it is a weird choice for one of the records most intimate tracks. The only time these vocals work really well is the dramatic swell that ends the song off which is a shame because the track isn't bad from a songwriting perspective aside from this.
Punisher is definitely the sound of an artist that has learned quite a bit in the last few years. Not only is this a big improvement from her debut record but it also contains a growth and versatility that so many generic singer-songwriter types never really achieve. While a few weird song-writing or production choices hold a handful of these tracks back at its core the fundamentals here are solid and I think that Phoebe should be an artist to look out for going forward with the potential to drop something amazing. 7.5/10
Album Cover Review by Tyler Judson:
This is an impactful cover. From the minimal composition to the color palette there is a lot of aspects that make this successful. I like how the background peaking makes it center focused in alignment with the subject and how there are still small details in the sky with the stars that adds a lot of interest. I think it would've been possible to add some type in the upper corners or center but it is still good as it is. 8/10
For more indie folk check out my review of Fiona Apple's Fetch The Bolt Cutters here
