Indie folk supergroup boygenius is back just six months after their debut full-length album, “The Record,” with a new indie rock EP “the rest” released on Oct. 13.
Leading up to the release of the EP, each of the four tracks were unveiled one by one while the band was on their The Tour tour last summer. Eventually, the band performed the whole EP live.
The album’s release date, while usually insignificant in most cases, is something to note here.
Oct. 13, 2023, falls on a Friday, as in, Friday the 13th. Keeping up with the band’s transcendental theme, the highly anticipated EP’s release could not have been more perfectly planned.
The EP features returning producers Tony Berg and Ethan Gruska, as well as band members Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus taking part in production. Matt Grub also returns as cover photographer, which is critical to the band’s continuing mystical storyline they established in “The Record.” The band references several themes from their debut album in their lyrics and visual aesthetics.
The first track, “Black Hole,” was also the first song revealed by the trio. They announced the new material at their Boston show on Sept. 25.
While only two minutes and twenty-one seconds in duration, the song’s meaning is not without depth. It touches upon the idea that while destruction is seemingly abysmal, it is needed for goodness to blossom.
The song references the same black hole that made an appearance on their debut album’s track “Not Strong Enough,” but with a renewed meaning. Lyrically, there are heavy strokes of contrast.
The second verse features the lyrics “white teeth, black light” and “white tee, brown eyes.” The song portrays the complexity of being alive and being human and that negativity and positivity are not mutually exclusive.
The second track, “Afraid of Heights,” was performed ahead of its official release right after “Black Hole” on night two of the trio’s Boston shows. Dacus sings lead vocals and received an overwhelming amount of love from fans when she performed it for the first time at MGM Music Hall.
“Afraid of Heights” seems to convey fearfulness and anxiousness. The lyrics are universally relatable, especially to a generation of people who want nothing more than to experience the wonders of life but are held back by the constant atrocities of the world.
The song’s circumstances revolve around Dacus and her comparison of her life experiences to that of her romantic partner. She feels dissatisfied with her lack of experience, as if she is behind in this imaginary competition, especially when juxtaposing herself with her partner.
On Sept. 28, boygenius debuted the third track, “Voyager,” at Westville Music Bowl.
Led by Bridgers’ vocals, the song shares commonalities in theme with the second track. Namely,
the main storyline of the song concerns a past relationship. However, “Voyager” is more about falling out of love, as opposed to Dacus’ relationship anxieties and fear of getting hurt. The song itself is presented in a very story-like way, and most of the lyrics depict vivid imagery.
The fourth and final track, “Powers,” was revealed at TD Pavillion of The Mann Center in Philadelphia on Sept. 20. This song is all about Baker’s journey of self-discovery, which, like track two, contains yet another relatable message.
The lyrics in “Powers” are unique and flamboyant, referencing otherworldly forces such as a “nuclear reactor,” “hostile alien ambassador” and even a “supercollider.” Despite these abnormal lyrics, the song still manages to leave any listener with a lingering sense of wonder about what it truly means to know oneself.
Through a mere four tracks, boygenius manages to encompass a slew of emotions and raise questions about the complexity of humanity, as well as the depths of our feelings. “The rest” packs in plenty of relatable and surreal lyricism that inspires listeners to reflect introspectively.
As “The Tour” is approaching its end, boygenius continues to spread its self-described doctrine of “sex, friends, [and] rock’ n’ roll” through Oct. 31.
