Punisher / Phoebe Bridgers / June 18, 2020
- Joshua Yoo
- Jul 2, 2020
- 1 min read
Updated: Sep 13, 2020
It doesn’t get any more personal than this. Every track on Phoebe Bridgers’ second studio album is centered around a very specific memory, thought, or dream of hers, this reflected in the songwriting and production impeccably. “Punisher” isn’t flashy; instead, it simply hits listeners with a relentless wall of emotions.
The album is mostly supported by bare-bones production, utilizing minimal yet impactful instrumentation to create quite a heavy atmosphere that she instills in a lot of the tracks, such as the gorgeously immersive string arrangements (“Chinese Satellite”), watery piano riffs (“Punisher”), or gentle, minimalist acoustic guitar backing (“Graceland Too”). Phoebe’s voice is understated and vulnerable, not the strongest, but undoubtedly fitting for the vulnerable topics that she covers.
Thematically, the album plays out like a diary, covering one surprisingly detailed thought after another, and as Phoebe isn’t shy to elaborate on these songs in interviews, it’s this sense of intimacy that holds so much weight with listeners. The lyricism is thoughtful, clever, and real, allowing people to connect with her experiences in differing ways that speak to them, such as relationship fallouts (“ICU”) or strenuous friendships (“Moon Song”).
Thus, while the concepts vary from song to song, “Punisher” is both sonically and topically a thoroughly cohesive listen. Phoebe Bridgers is as down-to-earth as can be, channeling all of her sadness, her questions, her memories, her ruminations into a project that is one of the most eloquent and emotionally poignant projects to date.
Best Track(s): Chinese Satellite, Savior Complex, Punisher, I Know the End, Kyoto
Lowlight(s): Garden Song
SCORE: 8/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i63yumCNdJs
Comments