Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers is an album that I can proudly say has very easily changed my life in the way of finding myself and also how I interpret and listen to albums. I would personally label Bridgers as an artist who is a ‘lyrical genius’ in the way that she writes, as her music and lyrics have such a deeper meaning if you really listen to the album as a whole. In addition, her effortless, light voice accompanying the music performed by herself and her fellow bandmates creates the sense of comfort and disappearance when you listen to the album altogether.
The album was released on June 18th 2020 by the record label, Dead Oceans. Although, writing for the album actually began in mid 2018, when she was touring for her first studio album, Stranger in the Alps, where some of the songs, such as ICU were written during soundchecks just hours before a show began. The year and a half recording of the album was taken place at Sound City Studios in Los Angeles, where popular artists such as Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Nirvana and Arctic Monkeys have also recorded at, with some albums achieving gold and platinum certificates.
Focusing on the songs, my personal favourite would have to be the 7th track, Moon Song. The song is written around the struggle of caring about someone who hates themself and believes that they are not good enough, as in return, you begin to feel like you’re not good enough as there is a worry there that they will leave. The song is so beautifully constructed, both melodically and lyrically, with the dreary and almost ‘tried’ melody followed by the heart-wrenching lyrics, which made me fall in love with this song in the first place. The song carries a metaphor involving a bird and a dog through the lyrics “so I will wait for the next time you want me like a dog with a bird at your door”. Bridgers’ meaning behind this heartbreaking lyric is that they can do whatever they want and hurt her as much as they wish but she will never leave them due to the deep love she holds for them. Essentially, she is saying that she will always be there for her partner and ready to give them the gift of her love, in reference to when a dog brings its owner a dead animal; the dog will see this as a gift, however the owner has no use for it. The final line of the song says “when you saw the dead little bird, you started crying. But you know the killer doesn’t understand”, which creates a full circle moment in the song as it creates the feeling of confusion as to why they cannot accept the gift of her love. The use of this dog and bird motif is reciprocated in the final track of the album, I Know The End, as she becomes the person who is answering the door through the lyric “and when I call, you come home, a bird in your teeth”. I would have to describe this song to be my favourite of all time, which can appear to be pretty sad, although the song isn’t particularly a breakup song, or a love song, it’s just real.
My all-time favourite Phoebe Bridgers live performance has to be her SNL performance of I Know The End, the final track on Punisher. The song is described to be split into three parts, as it begins with a folk feeling that has already been heard throughout many songs on the album, which the lyrics are describing a breakup, specifically with her drummer who she wrote the song with, and the acceptance of the whole situation as seen in the repetitive lyrics “I know, I know, I know”. The lyrics also show the reality of her tour life as she feels homesick and dwells on this emotion throughout the first part of the song. The song then drives into the second part, which lyrically introduces the theme of the apocalypse and you begin to feel a sense of movement along with the storytelling. This is when the song begins to ascend into the finale, where she ends the song on a gut-wrenching scream. Bridgers herself describes the song as a “big metal song” in reference to the final minute of something I would call a masterpiece. Going back to the SNL performance, she perfectly portrays the emotions she feels throughout the song during this performance as she starts in somewhat darkness with the main lights coming from the fairy lights on the microphone stands and ending it by literally smashing her guitar.
Overall, it may seem depressing, but I can happily name Punisher my favourite album of all time, as the way Phoebe Bridgers beautifully writes her songs allows me to see things and situations that everyone experiences from different perspectives. Her talent is beyond incredible and I strongly encourage anyone who enjoys little sad songs to give her a listen.
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