Phoebe backlash is just sellout panic coming back around with a dash of misogyny for her teenage girl fanbase. Which, while pathetic, is unsurprising with everything else from the 90s being in right now.
this is the definition an astute observation. I’m being sincere when I say that you should write stuff. or become a pop psychology professor
can’t stop fantasizing about a version of boygenius that just puts out louder alt-rock music. imagine a full LP of songs like the below - $20 - Satanist - Night shift - I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore - Anti-Curse - I Know the End
I very much hope $20, Satanist, and Anti-Curse are an indication of where Julien is headed on her next solo record.
That substack review was wild, definitely echoing the sentiment someone shared here that it sounds like “who hurt you?” It seems like he injected waaaaay too much of his already negative feelings towards the band he had before the album was released into the “review” which is Not Great Journalism.
I’m rooting for this for next Phoebe record. Her more rock leaning songs go toe to toe with any artist of the last 10 years for me. Her quieter stuff I do find a bit dull, that’s probably as close as I get to understanding the backlash on a musical level.
SITA and Punisher are both all-timers, and all her songs here are very good, but I do think she needs a shake-up for LP3. I’d love her to lean both more into pop and even some of the country sounds she’s toyed with so far. Her version of a record like Saint Cloud could be really special.
Jack produced the latest Lana album which is one of the best albums of the year so far. I’d be very curious to see what Phoebe and him could cook up, honestly.
I have not listened - and honestly won’t because I am not a fan of hers - but it seems he only does well with artists who will push him to try something different. Annie, 1975, etc. Up to this point, LDR has not been that.
I think Strange Desire/1989 Jack would help make a kickass Phoebe album, but a lot of his more recent tropes would play poorly.
This album has some of my favorite work from Julien in a long time and simultaneously some of my least favorite work from Phoebe and Lucy— Not to say that their work was bad! Julien just stands out most to me here.
Here’s the thing. What even is indie rock? People use that term to define everything from Death Cab and Boygenius to things like Beach House, Alvvays, Manchester Orchestra, and Paramore. So in that sense I agree.
Have to go agree with the consensus that Lucy and Julien‘s songs on here are standouts, not to take away from Phoebe’s which are also good.