It’s been a minute since we’ve heard from the Boygenius trio composed of Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been busy. All three women have been riding on their own individual successes before and after dropping their self-titled EP in 2018. 

Their long-awaited full-length debut, The Record, serves as an excellent rock and roll reminder of the talents that the three artists hold, spotlighting their individual strengths while also combining their skills to create something powerful. 

What makes The Record so exciting depends on how well you know the artists individually; whether it’s Bridgers’ glum, folk, Dacus’ steady, alluring voice, or Baker’s commanding lyrics that often reference heartbreak and religion. But as the songs evolve, often without a central chorus, they morph into something uniquely their own. 

Like on the standout track “Not Strong Enough,” which feels like a weary but defiant response to Sheryl Crow’s 1993 single, “Strong Enough.” With its sunny, explosive production backed by strings from all three women, it’s a beautiful country-rock epic about self-sabotage, showcasing the collective superpowers of this unstoppable force. 

But really the entirety of The Record is just that; a marking of three artists at the height of their careers, yet the only way for them to to go seems to be up.