The anatomy of the supergroup has a rocky past, often pulled together for commercial gain or a desperate attempt to revive a flatlining legacy. That the individual parts of boygenius are arguably better known as a trio tells a different story, one of unbreakable friendship and deep-rooted mutual respect that has rapidly become the lifeblood of the collaboration. Touching on an unavoidable cliche, they are better because of each other

Since their self-titled debut EP in 2018, each member has gone in new directions, with Phoebe Bridgers approaching the edges of mainstream stardom with Punisher, Lucy Dacus writing an achingly nostalgic document of queer girlhood with Home Video, and Julien Baker evolving her spectral songwriting in leaps and bounds on Little Oblivions

Yet, as rewarding as each of those records were, the hope for a proper boygenius album remained for fans. Part of that steadfast loyalty owes to how well the trio’s songwriting voices work together and how much they clearly love each other. The trio seems to understand that and have been leaning into the hype in their own winking way, aping Nirvana with their Rolling Stone magazine cover and naming their debut simply the record. At least, now that the record is finally here, fans can safely say it was well worth the wait

The seamless 12-track album is divided evenly between the three singers; each takes lead on four songs, with the other two providing auxiliary verses, harmonies, or both. Never does one perspective overstep its bounds, even as the record manages to showcase each members’ distinct approaches: the crunching soft-punk of Baker, emo-informed devastations of Bridgers, and Dacus’ hyper-specific sense of nostalgia and the margins of love

The album opens with a quartet of tracks, beginning on a pastoral a cappella intro – ‘Without You Without Them’ – before each band member contributes one of their own songs: ‘$20’ from Baker, ‘Emily I’m Sorry’ from Bridgers, and ‘True Blue’ from Dacus. Each is among the record’s highlights, but after the first act the boundaries of who wrote what begin to blur. Even more so than their EP, the record feels like a true band effort, but one in which each songwriter is given space to shine. Each member is listed as a songwriter on each song, and you can trace their hallmarks through the tracklist. Dacus adds a welcoming warmth, gorgeous harmonies, and heartfelt narratives, Baker brings out a penchant for slashing guitar lines and existential meditations, while Bridgers’ airy vocals and conversational songwriting are heartwrenching and funny in equal measure

The results are just as magnetic and devastating as expected, exploring the band at their most lovelorn, unsure, and raging. The band’s writing is layered and deeply moving, especially on the record’s spectral ballads and intimate folk numbers. It’s real magic when each woman passes the mic and keeps a verse for herself — think Fugees meets emo-folk — like on the Paul Simon-inspired ‘Cool About It,’ which examines a decaying relationship from three sides.  ‘Revolution 0’ finds Bridgers aching for a distant lover, and ‘Anti-Curse’ narrates Baker’s unexpected sense of peace as she nearly drowns at sea. These tracks are boygenius in their element, unpacking a tangled mess of emotions and leaving gems of lyrical poetry in their wake

At its core, the album is about the shared joy of three songwriters who truly love each other sharing in the act of creation. The members write to each other within the songs themselves, dedicating ‘True Blue’ and ‘We’re In Love’ as paeans to the bond they share (“But it feels good to be known so well/I can’t hide from you like I hide from myself/I remember who I am when I’m with you/Your love is tough, your love is tried and true-blue”). Dacus says she first sang the latter track to Bridgers as they lay in Bridgers’ bed holding each others’ faces. The album itself recreates that same kind of closeness, as if each confession is written and delivered between one band member to another. Few albums or songwriters have captured this kind of enduring, soul-deep friendship, and even fewer can render it in such striking intimacy

In a similar fashion, the band seemingly leaves playful in-jokes and charming call-backs for each other laced throughout the record, ranging from a The Cure namedrop on ‘Not Strong Enough’ to a clever interpolation of Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘The Boxer’ on “Cool About It.” That referential streak even turns inward with ‘Letter to an Old Poet,’ where Bridgers returns to the melody of ‘Me and My Dog,’ one of the highlights from the EP. However, she reframes that song’s aching lyrics with a new sense of yearning hope, closing out the record on a celebration of new beginnings – “I wanna be happy/I’m ready to walk into my room without looking for you/I’ll go up the top of our building and remember my dog when I see the full moon”

It’s a sign of growth, a full-circle reminder of how far boygenius has come as a musical project and an aspirational expression of faith. While all three women may continue on to even greater heights as individuals, the record offers something so much more than the sum of its parts. It’s a covenant between three soulmates, a trio of best friends ready to carry the torch for a new musical generation.