Boygenius share new single ‘Not Strong Enough’
American indie rock supergroup Boygenius, made up of singer-songwriters Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus, are preparing to release their debut full-length studio album, The Record, later this year. To preview the new LP, the trio have shared their latest taste of the album with the brand-new single, ‘Not Strong Enough’.
Whereas the group first previewed The Record by sharing three tracks written by each of the members, ‘Not Strong Enough’ sounds like a collaboration between all three. Bridgers helms the first verse, adding her distinctive vocal tone to a skittering folk rock arrangement. In it, Bridgers details the faults that come with being a human in a relationship, bringing “Kitchen-sink realism” to the literal kitchen by placing the verse in that area.
Baker steps up to take the second verse, detailing images of scraping loved ones off the pavement. As the song descends into a bridge section, the combination of acoustic guitars, electronic synth pads, and driving drums gives the track a distinct sound that doesn’t seem to copy or repeat any of the styles used on the album’s first three singles. ‘Not Strong Enough’ is definitely a rock song, but it has enough elements of folk or even country to make it desperate from the rest of the band’s material.
Dacus leads the chant that centres the song’s bridge: “Always an angel, never a god”. The tracks stinging assessment of love and the perceptions that come along with it feel like they’re right on the verge of exploding, and that explosion eventually comes as the women keep chanting out their central mantra. Eventually, the song lifts and Dacus takes one final verse before the song disappears into the ether.
‘Not Strong Enough’ might sound as though it’s detailing some personal turmoil, but the visual that accompanies the track is anything but serious. In it, Baker, Bridgers, and Dacus have a day of fun at a carnival. No stress, no conflict: just friendship and Ferris wheels. It might seem a little twee given the song’s more intense subject matter, but it fits right in with what makes Boygenius so cool in the first place: they’re three friends who just happen to be some of the biggest stars in the world of indie rock. Anything more isn’t necessary: it’s just fun and that’s all it needs to be. If you make songs as good as this, you don’t need anything more.
Check out the video for ‘Not Strong Enough’ down below. The Record is set for a March 31st release.
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