alice on phoebe bridgers’ 2020 “punisher”

featured in issue 37

Phoebe Bridgers is so fucking cool. Her newest album, Punisher, is so cool that it makes me feel cool. Phoebe is from the same Los Angeles area that we're from and I believe this may lead to some bias on my own part. This is probably my favorite drive-time album of the year for sure, but maybe also ever?

    This album has *layers* baby!!! Emotionally and sonically, Bridgers illustrates a narrative of grief, pain, and resilience all at the same time. This album also just features a denser and more complex sound in comparison to her previous work. One of the best things is how much she has been sharing, just about her process and some of the guts of her many musical conquests. I am sure that completing multiple interviews and late night livestreams is never a small task, even outside of a pandemic. But as a fan I am always interested to get any sort of context directly from the source, and she has really delivered- The standout for me being the Zach Fox livestream because I love a good bit, but even her responses to the Apple Music song breakdown feel honest and meaningful. One thing that is true is that Bridgers is cool, but she still cares! In fact, she is cool because she cares so fiercely.