Boygenius (EP)
| Boygenius | ||||
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| EP by | ||||
| Released | October 26, 2018 | |||
| Studio | Sound City (Van Nuys, California) | |||
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| Length | 21:56 | |||
| Label | Matador | |||
| Producer | ||||
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| Singles from Boygenius | ||||
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Boygenius is the debut EP by American indie group Boygenius, composed of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus. It was released on October 26, 2018, by Matador Records.
Background and recording
Singer-songwriters Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus self-produced and recorded the EP over four days in June 2018 at Sound City Studios in Los Angeles. The three made the decision to hire exclusively women for the process. Each member of the group brought one mostly-finished song to the studio that received further input from the other two; Baker contributed "Stay Down", Bridgers contributed "Me & My Dog", and Dacus contributed "Bite the Hand". Three additional songs emerged during the recording process from the trio's own demos.
Baker, Bridgers and Dacus formally announced the formation of Boygenius in August 2018. On the same day, three singles, "Bite The Hand", "Stay Down" and "Me & My Dog" were released, and their eponymous EP was scheduled for release on November 9. On October 26, the EP was released digitally, two weeks ahead of schedule.
The album's cover is a reference to Crosby, Stills & Nash, the self-titled 1969 debut album by the American folk-rock supergroup consisting of David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash.
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 8.0/10 |
| Metacritic | 84/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |
  
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| American Songwriter |
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| Consequence of Sound | A |
| Drowned in Sound | 7/10 |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+ |
| Exclaim! | 8/10 |
| NME |
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| Paste | 8.8/10 |
| Pitchfork | 8.3/10 |
| PopMatters | 8/10 |
Boygenius has received acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 84, based on 13 reviews. Rhian Daly of NME gave the EP a perfect score, stating "it serves as a reminder of each musician's particular powers – Bridgers' ability to spin haunting, poetic folk-pop out of beautiful simplicity; Dacus' sage and, often, wry indie-rock; and Baker's dramatic, emo-tinged exorcisms of emotion."
In a review for Pitchfork, Dayna Evans rated the album 8.3/10, writing that each member of Boygenius performs in "distinct musical styles": "For Bridgers, an intimate voice and shy guitar with a folkier bedroom softness; Baker, enormous emo minor tones and a voice that could blow down a building; Dacus, vocals that are clear and confrontational and a guitar shrouded in fuzz. When performed together, it yields an effective kind of magic."
Year-end lists
| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consequence of Sound | Top 50 Albums of 2018 |
7
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| Esquire | Top 20 Albums of 2018 |
11
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| Flood | Top 25 Albums of 2018 |
13
|
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| NPR Music | Top 50 Albums of 2018 |
12
|
|
| Under the Radar | Top 100 Albums of 2018 |
3
|
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| The Wild Honey Pie | Top 30 Albums of 2018 |
3
|
Track listing
All tracks are written by Boygenius, except where noted
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bite the Hand" | 3:12 |
| 2. | "Me & My Dog" | 3:26 |
| 3. | "Souvenir" | 3:32 |
| 4. | "Stay Down" | 4:00 |
| 5. | "Salt in the Wound" | 4:11 |
| 6. | "Ketchum, ID" (Boygenius, Christian Lee Hutson) | 3:35 |
| Total length: | 21:56 | |
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.
Boygenius
Additional personnel
- Anna Butterss – bass
- Elizabeth Goodfellow – drums
- Joseph Lorge – engineering, mixing (on "Me & My Dog")
- Collin Pastore – mixing (except on "Me & My Dog")
- Heba Kadry – mastering
- Lera Pentelute – photo
Charts
| Chart (2018–2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC) | 26 |
| UK Album Sales (OCC) |
85
|
| UK Independent Albums (OCC) | 10 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard) | 57 |
| US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) | 24 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) | 3 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) | 9 |
| US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) | 21 |