Just Let Me Fangirl: Phoebe Bridgers

I’m fairly certain I would sell my left lung to see Phoebe Bridgers in concert. For those of you who have not yet been enlightened, Phoebe Bridgers is an indie rock/emo-folk musician from Pasadena, California, whose most recent album was nominated for four grammys. That album, named Punisher, is a masterpiece of autobiographical songs that explore themes of heartbreak and death. Along with Phoebe’s incredible solo career, the 27 year old has embarked on two side projects with her groups Boygenius and Better Oblivion Community Center. I have fallen in love with her music in the last few months and I continue to discover new aspects to love about her music. 

In hopes to indoctrinate you into loving Phoebe Bridgers just as much as I do (or as close as you can get), I have compiled a list of my top 3 favorite songs. These songs include not only her solo work, but her side bands’ tracks as well. In the spirit of self-indulgence, I will include my thoughts on each song. It’s impossibly hard to narrow all of her music down to just 3, but here we go. 

Bite The Hand -Boygenius

This song is my favorite off of the EP and felt familiar the first time I heard it. Not in a “I’ve heard this before because it’s not unique” kind of way, but a “I’ve heard this before and I feel comforted” way. Maybe that’s dumb, but I stand by what I said. Heartbreak is the main theme of the song and it feels like a knife is plunged into your heart. The vocal performances from Phoebe Bridgers and her bandmates, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus, turn this song into the perfect scream along song. The hook of the song, “I can’t love you how you want me to” is repeated over and over again to twist the knife in your heart just a little further. This song is angsty and teenage and relatable and perfect.

Georgia -Phoebe Bridgers, Stranger In The Alps

Written when she was still a teenager, Georgia is one of Phoebe’s oldest songs. Her lyrics immediately pull you into her world: “Georgia, Georgia, I love your son/ When he gets older he might be the one.” The storyline and beautiful instrumentals keep you listening to the song all the way through to see what happens to Georgia’s son. You can feel how passionate Phoebe is about whoever she is writing about. “If I breathe you will it kill me? / If I fix you will you hate me?” Gosh, the musical atmosphere this song places you in is magical. Go listen to it, please and thank you.

Garden Song -Phoebe Bridgers, Punisher

Garden Song is the perfect example of the kind of lyricist Phoebe is. Her seemingly random imagery catches your attention. “The doctor put her hands over my liver / she told me my resentment is getting smaller.” Throughout the song, Phoebe’s vocals are doubled by an incredibly low male voice which can go unnoticed unless you are listening specifically for it, but it makes all the difference. (Cool fact: The male voice is not actually lowered with autotune. It’s just some Dutch guy whose voice is two octaves below Phoebe’s!) Garden Song is the perfect song for summer night driving with the windows down. That’s the only way I can really describe it. 

If you listen to these songs, come tell me what you think of them! I love geeking out about music with people. 

Stay tuned, 

Hazel Paul