“Punisher” is the second studio album of singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers. It was released on June 18, 2020, by Dead Oceans. The album is critically acclaimed due to its thought-provoking lyrics and depth. The album covers topics of relationships, personal struggles, and emotional stability.

DVD Menu

Rating: ★★★

Review: For an opener, it sets the tone for the entire album well! It really evokes the emotions of the upcoming songs and creates an almost eerie atmosphere. Since it’s an instrumental and the opener, there isn’t too much to get into because of its duration, but it does the job well!

Favorite Lyric: N/A

Garden Song

Rating: ★★★★½

Review: In an interview with Apple Music “The song is about how dreams become real, which is a very trippy idea, but just like, your subconscious knows more about you than you do.” This song is SO beautiful. With such a deep meaning, it’s hard to make it sound so melancholic without it sounding depressing; rather, it sounds more ethereal and reflective. The instrumental alone is soft and comforting, but it doesn’t sound peaceful. It takes chaos and makes it sound like a fairytale.

Favorite Lyric: “The doctor put her hands over my liver/She told me my resentment’s getting smaller”

Kyoto

Rating: ★★★½

Review: Although this song is great, I feel like the way it was sandwiched between Garden Song and Punisher makes it feel off. Although the meaning behind the song (her complex relationship with her father) fits the album well, the upbeat nature of the instrumental and vocals creates a whiplash effect going from a sad song with a slow, soft instrumental to an upbeat, road trip-sounding song to then a gut-wrenching song with a slow, soft instrumental. I think if the album could be rearranged, this song shouldn’t be sandwiched between these two slow, sad songs.

Favorite Lyric: “‘I wanted to see the world/Through your eyes until it happened/Then I changed my mind”

Punisher

Rating: ★★★★★

Review: In this title track, Phoebe discusses the idea of “punishers,” fans who make their heroes feel trapped when meeting them. This song specifically talks about how Phoebe would have been a punisher toward Elliot Smith, a now-deceased musician in this fictional encounter. The lyricism in this song, while simple, is so beautifully crafted. Her vocals are like honey as she sings this song, as she creates (again) an ethereal sound while singing about deeper topics.

Favorite Lyric: “What if I told you I feel like I know you/But we never met?”

Halloween

Rating: ★★★★★

Review: Using Halloween as a metaphor for saving a failing relationship. In the outro, the repetition of “Whatever you want/I’ll be whatever you want” shows how she’ll do anything that her partner wants to keep the relationship going. Phoebe hides behind a mask to do whatever her partner wants, not showing her true, authentic self. I fall asleep to this song a lot, as, like the others, it sounds so beautiful and relaxing while still pouring her heart out.

Favorite Lyric: “Whatever you want/I’ll be whatever you want”

Chinese Satellite

Rating: ★★★★

Review: Covering a topic that is not widely talked about in this song makes this another amazing pick for this album. Phoebe talks about wanting to believe in a higher power but not being able to. This song also has some mentions of aliens, which is a topic covered in a lot of the songs on this album. The outro discusses Bridgers wanting to be taken away by a beam of light to be brought “home,” possibly to her creator.

Favorite Lyric: “I want to believe/Instead I look at the sky and I feel nothing/You know I hate to be alone/I want to be wrong”

Moon Song

Rating: ★★★★★

Review: Do I cry every time I listen to this song… well, yes! The idea of trying to do the impossible to please someone else is always a trope that makes me SOB. The lyricism throughout this song, such as the idea of waiting like a dog with a dead bird as a gift for their owner but not understanding the moral implications of the murder, is so beautifully thought out and truly makes this song a standout from this album.

Favorite Lyric: “So I will wait for the next time you want me/Like a dog with a bird at your door”

Savior Complex

Rating: ★★★★★

Review: Throughout this song, Phoebe repeats the lines “Show me yours, and I’ll show you mine,” meaning that if her partner shows her problems, Phoebe will reciprocate. However, in the outro, she only says, “Show me yours.” Relating to the idea of a savior complex, Phoebe realizes that she won’t be able to deal with her problems and share them because she’s too busy trying to fix her partner. To utilize the idea of a savior complex to understand the highs and lows of dealing with it in a relationship is what drives this song home for me. The sad, melancholic melody immediately sets the tone for the song and makes me feel all of the feels. Fun Fact: Paul Mescal is featured in the music video for this song!

Favorite Lyric: “Baby, you’re a vampire/You want blood and I promised/I’m a bad liar/With a savior complex”

ICU

Rating: ★★★★½

Review: ICU is one of my favorite tracks from this album, especially in terms of lyrics. Exploring the feelings of a breakup with anger, sadness, and confusion, the metaphor of the ICU truly shows how emotionally overwhelmed she is. I love the way that Phoebe navigates these feelings in her lyrics and uses the softer instrumental followed by the intense rising beat that fits with this theme as well, as the more it bottles, the harsher it is when it is released.

Favorite Lyric: “I hate your mom/I hate it when she opens her mouth/It’s amazing to me/How much you can say/When you don’t know what you’re talking about”

Graceland Too

Rating: ★★★★½

Review: In an interview with All Things Loud, Phoebe notes that this song is about “…caring for someone who hates themselves and how that can be really hard.” This song makes me so immensely sad, and hearing the other two members of the group “boygenius” makes this song even more impactful. Having her best friends sing along with her on a song about caring for friends who don’t care about themselves is such a beautiful touch to this song.

Favorite Lyric: “Said she knows she lived through it to get to this moment/Ate a sleeve of saltines on my floor, and I knew then/I would do anything you want me to”

I Know the End

Rating: ★★★★

Review: This song is an amazing closer, as it builds until the final climax of the song and lets all of the building emotion throughout the album finally come out. The lyrics are really beautiful, and the ending is one of my favorites throughout the album. The scream at the end really puts it into your face that the emotion is finally released. “I Know the End” can symbolize she knows the end of her bottled-up emotions is coming because she’s finally ready to release them after holding them for so long.

Favorite Lyric: “Close my eyes, fantasize/Three clicks and I’m home”

Find “Punisher” by Phoebe Bridgers on Apple Music, Spotify, and other streaming platforms!