Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker are all known for deeply emotive art that details their own respective experiences through love and life, particularly as queer women. Often, soft voices accompany equally soft instrumentals, and that much is true for most of this album. Though big emotions are portrayed in big ways—specifically through screams from Bridgers, who historically hasn’t been shy of getting a little loud.

The record opens with a short acapella track, “Without You Without Them,” which briefly identifies feelings of gratitude toward the concept of community and lays out harmonies and feelings which the rest of the project builds off of. 

The next three are singles, each lead by a different member, which were released at the time of the initial album announcement. “$20” is Baker’s lively and fun track; loud and exciting, youthful and healing. “Emily I’m Sorry” is Bridgers’ unsubtle letter to an ex-girlfriend, filled with regret and deep uncertainty and insecurity. “True Blue” is Dacus’, which brings an appreciation for a special relationship, romantic or not, and is beautiful both in penmanship and in vocals.

The last half of the twelve-track slows down a bit, and complicates itself lyrically. It becomes even more raw and vulnerable, with a memory of the band “Leonard Cohen,” and admission of foolish and giddy love in “We’re In Love.”

The closing track, “Letter To An Old Poet,” which has proven to be a fan favorite, calls back to the popular release “Me & My Dog.” In the former, the three sing “I wanna be happy, I’m ready to walk into my room without looking for you” rather than the latter’s “I wanna be emaciated, I wanna hear one song without thinking of you,” telling us that these feelings have matured along with the legitimacy of the band and its audience.

There is a confidence that seeps out of this record, in the certainty of the artistic choices. The maturation of boygenius (and even of each individual artist) will absolutely be beneficial to the indie genre.