Phoebe Bridgers pushes boundaries with ‘Punisher’

Courtesy of Rolling Stone

At first listen, every Phoebe Bridgers song sounds like a soft-spoken lullaby – that is, until you actually pay attention to the lyrics. “What the heck is she talking about?” you’ll ask yourself. And there really isn’t an easy answer.

On her sophomore album, “Punisher,” Bridgers shines like never before: dissociation, introspection, post-breakup bitterness and a whole lot of eerie Halloween spirit smush together to create 11 very special songs. “Punisher” has received critical acclaim, too, most recently earning a high score of 8.7 on music magazine and review site Pitchfork, as well as a spot on their “Best New Music” list.

Since the release of “Stranger in the Alps” in 2017, Bridgers has garnered praise for her bluntness and raw honesty. With lyrics that cut deep, everything about her songwriting is genuine. Tracking her words feels like trying to track your conscience or inner monologue as it jumps from one observation to the next.

Though Bridgers’ signature sound remains intact on “Punisher,” the record sounds more self-assured than her previous work. The drifty, haunting introspection is here to stay, but it’s clearer and more definite now than before. On “I Know the End,” a song about our doomed, apocalyptic reality, Bridgers plays a happy nihilist. Violins drive and build the melody forward as she welcomes the end of the world as we know it: “Windows down, scream along / To some ‘America First’ rap country song / A slaughterhouse, an outlet mall / Slot machines, fear of God.” Bridgers’ screams trap you in as they echo, as if to say, “Bring it.”

In contrast, songs like “Savior Complex,” “Moon Song” and “Graceland Too” feel wistful, twinkly and nostalgic – it’s almost like by putting out into the open this idea that we’re all doomed, the trauma, longing and let-downs become smaller and softer.

“If I could give you the moon / I would give you the moon / You are sick and you’re married / And you might be dying / But you’re holding me like water in your hands,” Bridgers sings on “Moon Song” as she reflects on her devotion and loyalty through a regrettable, flawed relationship. She doesn’t shy away from mentioning her own dishonesty, savior complex and overall baggage – and the vulnerability is deeply validating for anyone who has ever felt the same way.

Another theme that Bridgers carries throughout the album is her lost sense of self. It’s especially present in “Kyoto” and “Chinese Satellite,” which feature similar imagery about both losing (and finding) oneself in travel and distance; about wanting to go home and run away all at the same time.

“Dreaming through Tokyo skies / I wanted to see the world / Then I flew over the ocean / And I changed my mind,” Bridgers sings on “Kyoto.” She echoes the same feelings of restlessness on “Chinese Satellite,” saying, “Took a tour to see the stars / But they weren’t out tonight / So I wished hard on a Chinese Satellite.”

At the core of these songs, though, Bridgers’ true search is for herself as she floats through periods of dissociation: “I’ve been running around in circles / Pretending to be myself / Why would somebody do this on purpose / When they could do something else?” she asks.

Bridgers doesn’t always see herself – but with “Punisher,” she’s created a collection of memories, images and experiences that everyone can tap into to see a piece of themselves. The album is about what it feels like to be numb, to be afraid, to be desperate, to be crushed – and there’s nothing more personal or more human than that.

Odessa Stork serves as the copy chief for The Chronicle and is from Carpinteria, California. You can find her on twitter @_odesssa.