Phoebe Bridgers makes the apocalypse sound beautiful.

words by Sasha Rtishchev, graphics handmade by Harper <3

★

Phoebe Bridgers’s sophomore album, Punisher, makes even the apocalypse sound beautiful, but without fear of her listeners burning down the earth. Her melodic voice and soft rock instrumentals refuse to romanticize the issues discussed throughout the album, crafting an honest portrayal of depression, toxic relationships, stardom, and recurring dreams. 

Bridgers is a California native who emerged into stardom with her first album Stranger in the Alps, in 2017. She is better known for her work in boygenius and Better Oblivion Community Center, in which she worked with the likes of Lucy Daucus, Julien Baker, and Conor Oberst. Her autobiographical music sets her apart from other indie rock musicians, not only due to her witty lyrics and allusions but because of the emotion and realness instilled in each piece.

“Phoebe Bridgers’s sophomore album, Punisher, makes even the apocalypse sound beautiful.”

Bridgers opens her album with a slow instrumental track, which almost acts as an overture for the music to come, however it mostly mirrors the final track. It fades into “Garden Song”, which is as beautiful as it is aching. This song focuses on Bridgers’ nightmares on tour, and how the positive and negative is manifested within her life. She includes many references to her life in California, including the Rose Parade and a house fire. It paints a depiction of a picture-perfect life, with many secrets hidden underneath. Much like the singer’s “garden,” this song hides its dark contents with high pitched vocals and the pretty strumming of a guitar.

The seventh and eighth tracks, “Moon Song” and “Saviour Complex”, respectfully, tell the story of a difficult relationship. Bridgers’ partner has issues with self-love, which makes it hard for this relationship to be healthy. In “Moon Song”, she sings about the ups and downs, as well as “the wanting-to-be-stepped-on feeling,” as Bridgers describes it in an interview with Apple Music. In “Saviour Complex”, she explains how she is so desperate to help this person love themselves, even if it turns her into a metaphorically blood-hungry vampire. Both songs sound much more innocent than the stories they describe, without discrediting the exhaustion Bridgers felt as a result of this relationship.

The album ends with the track, aptly titled “I Know the End”, which is a ballad about the hellish drive up the California coast. With scattered Wizard of Oz references, this song ties up the album with its doomsday chorus and apocalyptic sound. It brings listeners around the world, and to the end of it, with Bridgers, as she describes her tour inside jokes, the Pacific Ocean’s waves, and a SpaceX launch. Not to mention, it features virtually everyone that contributed to this album. Her ending is strong, acting as an anthem for the end of the world. The screaming, and eerie instrumentals reflect the last, repeating lyrics “the end is here.”

Overall, Punisher is a perfect soundtrack to summer 2020. It's dark undertones and witty lyrics fit well with the abject loneliness of social distanced meetings, and the threat of COVID-19 weighting the air. However, Bridgers’ angelic voice and almost simplistic instrumentals reminisce on the beauty of summertime. As talks about the world ending circulate, Phoebe Bridgers has somehow carved out a heavenly corner, offering a space in which there’s nothing to fear.