Phoebe Bridgers’ much anticipated sophomore album Punisher is easily one of my favorite albums of 2020 so far. With her 2017 debut Stranger in the Alps, Bridgers’ established herself as a strong songwriter, particularly through her way to express emotion through her words and soft yet powerful voice. This new album is the same case with Bridgers’ capturing powerful emotions in such tracks as ICU and the title track Punisher. While the album has a uniformed sound, each songs has an individual flair such as the catchy, pop rock chords of Kyoto and the mandolin or banjo (not sure which it is) riffs in Graceland Too, which features her bandmates from boygenius, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker. One of the most powerful parts of the album is the closing track I Know the End, particularly the slow build up to the intense ending which caused me chills upon first hearing it.
Overall, Bridgers’ has produced a beautiful, emotional album that I’d recommend to anyone, particularly to people who love sad music.
