Since debuting their self-titled EP in 2018, boygenius—the alternative/rock group formed by Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker—has been on everyone’s radars. After reuniting almost seven months ago to release their first full-length album, the record, the group put out a four-song EP on Oct. 13 titled the rest.

One can either listen to the record and then immediately follow it with the rest, or just listen to the rest independently. Both sound natural since the closing of the record almost perfectly leads into the start of the rest and because the latter touches upon themes explored in the former. “Voyager,” in particular, revisits the lunar imagery that Bridgers touches upon in the record’s “Letter from an Old Poet” and throughout her solo work. 

Over the last five years, boygenius has collaborated in a masterful way to show each of the band members’ maximum potential. They have beautiful voices separately, but when combined, their harmonies and lyricism build ethereal melodies. On this new EP, the opener and closer—“Black Hole” and “Powers,” respectively—showcase the trio’s expertise in collaborating without ever overpowering each other. 

While this EP might not blow either boygenius or the record out of the water, it still builds upon the solid foundation the band has established through their previous works. These four new songs have the same attention to detail and quality as their previous works; their lyrics are as poetic as always, especially on “Afraid of Heights,” and the melodies remain faithful to their classic mix of indie and rock sounds. 

To many, boygenius represents friendship, queer love, and acceptance. Their friendship makes every song that they write so pure and inherently relatable. Their openness with their sexuality empowers their fanbase to celebrate alongside them, turning each concert and listening session into a safe space for their fans to be proud of their sexuality. In the face of increasingly widespread homophobia and transphobia across America, boygenius’ music is a defiant expression of the importance of queer joy.