Track Review: Not Strong Enough // boygenius

Rarely has a ‘supergroup’ ever been so truly super, and the latest collection of singles from boygenius prove that their acclaimed collaboration continues to be a fruitful enterprise. Consisting of Grammy nominee Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus & Julien Baker, the band released the fourth single off their debut album The Record titled ‘Not Strong Enough’ just last week on March 1st.

Ahead of the album’s scheduled release of March 31st, the trio have now released four out of the 12 tracks to the public, further encapsulating the laid-back casualness of a band supposedly formed as “kind of an accident” according to Bridgers, back in 2018. Despite the chance-like nature of their formation, the release of ‘Not Strong Enough’ was a smart move in both building hype for the upcoming release as well as setting the tone for the project’s second half.

Listed as track six, boygenius’ honest introspection sits on top of a layer of upbeat drumming and production harking to techniques Taylor Swift has finessed throughout her career, that being contrasting solemn introspection with a sweet peppiness. The three women’s voices melt perfectly together as the listener is fooled into a peaceful yet hopeful lull whilst the backbone of the chorus states “I don’t know why I am the way I am”.

In announcing such a statement we’ve all related to at one time or another, Bridgers, Dacus and Baker take turns at providing insight to their unanswerable pondering. As with much of their solo discographies, which often relish in melancholics yet continue to offer positive musings for the future, the pace is picked up as the song concludes. “I think I’ve been having revelations” the ladies coalesce towards the track’s conclusion, and it is these revelations we await eagerly to hear on March 31st.

Words by Ben Carpenter

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