BOYGENIUS, THE RECORD

Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus first came together in 2016 when their paths crossed while each was touring. Two years later they found themselves touring together. They bonded quickly and decided to write and record a song as a trio. It was the beginning of a very special friendship and collaborative journey that lead to The Record, their first LP together. 

With Baker, Bridgers, and Dacus all well established before they came together, the moniker of 'supergroup' was slapped on the trio early on and expectations for their first albums were enormous. I think the term 'supergroup' is overused and tiresome as artists come together to collaborate and make music all the time. But Boygenius feels different. 

Artistically, Baker, Bridgers, and Dacus each have different musical reference points and approaches to song-writing and storytelling. Combined, the three, as Boygenius, meld together to create songs that are quite different from anything that they have done individually. These aren't solo songs that they donated to each other, Dacus has said in an interview. The three had to be together to make them.

I don't know that I would go so far as to call Boygenius a supergroup. Time will tell. I will say that The Record is an album that does deserve all the attention and accolades it's receiving. It is a standout album of the year so far.

Cleo Sol, Mother

"I do this for the Younger me, that didn’t always speak what was on her heart & that made herself smaller to fit others ideals. I’ve never felt as present as I do now. I’ve always tried to embrace where I am in life, but at certain points you just get lost, and don’t have the awareness to navigate yourself out and into the light. I guess life happens in waves, and thinking of that always gives me peace in the moment. I became a mother this year, and it’s been the most transformative, uplifting, heart melting, strength giving experience thus far that led me to write this album." Cleo Sol

Cleo Sol, who is part of the music collective Sault, has returned with her second solo album Mother. Once again, it's a collection of highly personal songs. This time Sol, as a new mother, centers on Motherhood. Here she journeys through her relationship with her own mother acknowledging both the good and the bad, the lessons she learned, and the advice that was passed down to her. Sol then turns her attention to her thoughts, hopes, and desires for her child and for herself as a mother. 

Sol's song are at times heartwarming, at times heart breaking, but always beautiful. They sound like out-of-time ballads that elicit comparisons to Roberta Flack and Carole King at their most intimate and inviting (Allmusic). It's quite an achievement and makes Mother feel like a classic album that you have lived with for years.