Phoebe Bridgers’s second studio album, “Punisher,” was released in 2020. It features indie rock and emo folk genres. I rate this album a ten out of ten.
The opening song “DVD Menu” is a track with no words, but it still has an eerie tone to it. It transitions beautifully into the next song titled “Garden Song.” This song talks about growing and the fact that everything is always changing. It is also about dealing with change. Dealing with change is hard, but it is a part of life and “Garden Song” discusses having to realize that and be okay with it.
The amazing thing about this album and Bridgers’s other albums is that almost every song has a different meaning and conveys different emotions. Or even having to deal with those emotions during different hard times in life. In some of Bridger’s songs, she conveys emotions in a story format. The theme is shown from the beginning to the final track.
The final track is titled “I Know the End.” The song describes a story of the world ending. The song talks about dealing with it and knowing that so many things will be missed. By the song’s end, listeners are shown that Bridgers accepts this. This is signified by the breath that finishes off the album, which brings the listener back down to earth and makes them realize that it will be okay.
Overall, this forty-minute album can send the listener through so many emotions. This album has connected with me since the first time I listened to it. It brought me joy, made me sad and even got me confused at points. I would one hundred percent listen to this album if a music fan has not yet. Honestly, it is an album that any person would enjoy no matter who they are. If an individual listens to this album, they can listen to it on shuffle or my preferred way of listening to it, in song-by-song order because it tells a story. It is an amazing album and Bridgers is an amazing lyricist.
