14.11.18

Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus unite as boygenius, and their debut EP fits them so well that its existence almost feels inevitable. They each share a specialism in searing melancholia. The tight, painful kind that’s best accompanied by crunching leaves and relentless October drizzle, with tension that builds and builds until your heart bursts with the fullness of it all.

Climbing thrillingly to an inevitable emotional stalemate, the EP sees the artists’ three distinctive voices intertwining, powerful in acapella. The togetherness feels like being let in on a secret. Me & My Dog knots lyrics of fever dreams and devastation around a deceptively warm folk-rock riff. Souvenir doubles down on this duality, driving from introspective claustrophobia to huge, sweeping harmonies. Stay Down and Salt in the Wound kick harder still, with piercing reverb punctuating the hush. As friends first and collaborators second, boygenius’ debut makes space for each musician to shine, but it’s their caring approach to sharing the spotlight that makes this supergroup special.

Katie Hawthorne