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Something about seeing a bunch of end-of-year lists really inspires one to think about all the big records that came out this year. Indeed, indie/alternative all-female group boygenius made quite a splash with their debut album The Record, which saw an impressive press cycle and now a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year and Best Alternative Music Album (amongst other nominations) – a considerable achievement that also runs the risk of overexposure, though I am not about to act like an armchair talent agent and talk about what’s good or bad for the group’s image.

That being said, boygenius was never a niche indie supergroup to start with. Famously composed of queer indie musicians Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers, the group already had a solid fanbase and a bit of a presence in indie circles prior to their debut, with Phoebe Bridgers especially gaining more mainstream relevance after opening for and performing with Taylor Swift. I myself had heard of them prior to The Record, and also listened to a good chunk of Phoebe and Lucy’s work, though I have yet to check out Julien’s catalogue.

Therefore, I was already pretty familiar with the sad-indie, proudly queer image the group had set up for themselves prior to the release of their debut, and from the singles released in the album cycle, I could tell that they were probably going to be doubling down on the sound. My intuitions turned out to be sort of accurate, as The Record encapsulates with great precision the image of the group, with its subtly melancholic sound and modern angsty lyrics conveying a sort of subdued emotional numbness about less-than-perfect relationships and the pitfalls of youth. It really fits right into that Tumblr indie sound that the group probably sources their fanbase from.

Not that any of that is a bad thing of course, playing to audience expectations is something that any established musical act does, and there is care and thought put into the making of this album. I enjoyed a lot of the lyrics for their personal, almost folksy storytelling quality, and the fact that each member gets their moment to shine both in terms of vocal performance and songwriting adds some variation and personality to the record.

Unfortunately, I found the music being rather underwhelming in the way that it was pretty much your average indie rock fare. The harmonies are beautiful and the group’s synergy is evident, but nothing about the music really caught my attention. The album didn’t leave much of an impression even after two listens, so much so that I didn’t feel the need to write about it. Even now, after revisiting this album several months later, I can’t really say that I’ve changed my mind. I still like the individual members of the group but I can’t quite say this album is a must-listen unless what I’ve described sounds like something you’d enjoy.

In any case, these are just my opinions and I would always recommend people to give it a listen and form their own opinion.

Best Track(s): “Without You Without Them”, “Not Strong Enough”, “Emily I’m Sorry”

Rating: 6.5/10