By Kate Spencer
Following the bombastic response to their debut album, the record, supergroup boygenius(Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus) released a stripped down four-track EP titled, the rest. Presumably made up of songs left on the cutting room floor for their album released earlier this year, this is by far the least ambitious project released by the trio, focusing mainly on profound lyrics suited to each member and simple production, giving most of the tracks a demo-like sound.
This EPs most valuable contents are, without a doubt, found within the lyrics. If you enjoy any of these songwriter’s penmanship, you with likely find some merit within these songs. Two highlights include Dacus’ effortless storytelling on Afraid of Heights, a short song detailing the desire to live an exciting life while trying not to die in the process, and Bridgers’ now classic melancholy and ethereal style on Voyager. The most collaborative track on the project, Black Hole, features a particularly impressive verse from Baker delivered with a dry emotion only she can accomplish.
While the lyricism of the rest is up to par with boygenius’ other works, the production is lacking. Most of the songs seem slightly half-baked, which makes sense considering they were scraps from a larger project. This issue is especially glaring in the Baker-lead closing track, which consists mostly of her isolated vocals and acoustic guitar. Baker’s performance here is still enjoyable to listen to, and the words she sings are worthy of unpacking, but the horns at the end of the track feel like an afterthought that don’t fully fit the song or EP, and it’s bizarre that this is the longest song on the project.
rated seven out of ten