"the rest" - boygenius EP Review

“the rest” of it didn’t disappoint.

boygenius released its EP, “the rest,” in October, which follows its debut “the record,” which was released earlier in the year.

“the rest” consists of four songs that would’ve fit in perfectly on their parent album.

“Black Hole” is barely two minutes long but consists of the classic boygenius guitar strum and duet vocals.

Julien Baker explained that she read a Tweet with the headline mentioning how Black Holes create stars, not destroy them, hence where the idea from the song came along.

It’s not the best song on the album, but it’s a quiet interlude into what the rest of the EP has to offer.

“Afraid of Heights” is arguably the best song on the album and is a mix of “Not Strong Enough” and “Cool About It” from “the record.”

It’s about being quiet but loving somebody who is reckless, and the sinking feeling that you’ll never be able to keep up with their life.

“I want to live a vibrant life / But I want to die a boring death” encapsulates the struggle of wanting to live in the moment in theory but being too scared to once given the opportunity.

“Voyager” is the Phoebe Bridgers-led track on the album, but the meaning isn’t as beautiful as her voice and the echoes of Baker and Lucy Dacus.

“Voyager” is about a chaotic, tumultuous relationship, trying to do everything you can to grasp onto a person with a wrecking intent.

“There are days spent tangled up together / And sometimes, you let me read your mind / Then there are nights you say you don’t remember / When you stepped on the gas and asked if I’m ready to die” has to be one of the most chilling lyrics in the discography. There’s no worse feeling than something going downhill, and knowing you can do nothing about it.

It’s a quiet song, but not for those with a quiet life.

Finally, there’s “Powers” for all of the superhero fans out there. Baker leads this track, pondering her origin story and what decisions in her life led to her personality.

For “the rest” being an EP of four, short songs, it’s classic boygenius: ballads that force us to think.

Rating: 7/10

Reviewer’s favorite song: “Afraid of Heights”

Reviewer’s least favorite song: “Black Hole”

Adrianna Gallucci is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email amg7989@psu.edu.