Punisher (Phoebe Bridgers) Album Review

Punisher (Phoebe Bridgers) Album Review

Upon the release of her sophomore album this year, Phoebe Bridgers solidified her position as a curiously important and relevant singer/songwriter for every genre she identifies with; Punisher is daringly psychedelic at times, appropriately orchestral when it needs to be, truly climaxes at the end and is wholly beautiful and pure throughout.

Garden Song is an essential product in the introduction to Phoebe for any newcomers. Following DVD Menu, the album's overture, sharp synth kicks in, accompanied with an acoustic finger-style technique that accentuates the voice of a woman on a nostalgic and emotional journey.

I grew up here 'til it all went up in flames

Except the notches in the doorframe

I don't know when you got taller

See our reflection in the water

Off a bridge at the Huntington

I hopped the fence when I was seventeen

Then I knew what I wanted

The culmination of these slyly calming vocals, that have become archetypal for Phoebe’s music, sung by a soothingly (almost invisible) male singer in the chorus as well, with the repeating riff/pattern, may fool the listener into presuming they are hearing the groundwork for a song that will soon present electric guitar or piano in a significant way; Phoebe opts instead for the pursuit of these continuously simple bars that at no point fluctuate or provide a classically noticeable bridge/chorus. The decision to keep it raw and unique was the right one. Garden Song is the second best track on the album.

Kyoto’s mood is obviously different, this is apparent as soon as it kicks in - there are playful wind instruments, there is an easily identifiable chorus, complimented by orchestral themes that dip in and out throughout the song. This grand collection of instruments evoke feelings of joy, comfort and excitement in the listener, all at once. For this song, Phoebe took her will to tell a story, and explored the enchanting and mysterious garden of East Asia, with its prominent pink and red colours, well kept ponds and old men, rich in both wisdom and wrinkles, sitting on porches of houses they have lived in ever since they were young boys. The album cover and name didn’t fool you however - this album is not for blasting out in a taxi on the first night of a soon to be uni student’s gap year in Japan; Kyoto exists to juxtapose and provide commercial appeal to an otherwise bleak, honest and candid take on life that Phoebe engineers in the other ten songs on the album.

What I felt when listening to the whole thing, all the way through with no breaks, really took me by surprise, as after a string of melancholic diary entry style songs (Saviour Complex, ICU, Graceland Too), which are admittedly a little forgettable when we consider the album as a whole, comes the final scene of the film, the final act of the play, and the reason the whole thing was worth it. I Know The End is not just the last in an arbitrarily selected list of songs. It is the final song for a reason, a reason that becomes clear once you listen to it. It is the finale because you cannot listen to it in isolation from the others. Context is required, because without it, it is impossible not to be confused as it plays out. It exists, and is so brilliant, largely due to what came before it, as approximately 5 minutes into the 6 minute masterpiece comes Phoebe’s moment of catharsis, a purging of emotions, internal germs and problems, as she bellows over an instrumental in a domineering and desperate fashion, which I believe to be a simultaneous cry for help, and cry to the critics, bagging Phoebe a spot at the top of every end of year list for 2020, as a year that saw turmoil not dissimilar to that that she discussed on the album comes to a close. It ends as weirdly as it began. It’s quintessential quirkiness, individuality and conscientious will to succeed not only as a music project, but as a therapeutic story as well, is what truly makes Punisher fantastic. I highly recommend you give it a listen.

4.5/5 stars