Punisher | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 18, 2020 | |||
Recorded | 2018–2019 | |||
Studio | Sound City (Van Nuys, California) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 40:37 | |||
Label | Dead Oceans | |||
Producer |
| |||
Phoebe Bridgers chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Punisher | ||||
|
Punisher is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers, released on June 18, 2020, by Dead Oceans.[3] It is the follow-up to her 2017 debut album, Stranger in the Alps. In the years prior to her sophomore effort, the California native also formed the bands Boygenius and Better Oblivion Community Center.
Punisher was recorded over a year and a half at Sound City Studios in Los Angeles and reunited Bridgers with producers Tony Berg and Ethan Gruska, who also engineered Alps. Its recording process was collaborative with its liner notes crediting over two dozen prominent musicians, including Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, Christian Lee Hutson, Jim Keltner, Blake Mills, and Conor Oberst. Punisher was supported by five singles "Garden Song", "Kyoto", "ICU", "I Know the End" and "Savior Complex". Upon its release, the album attracted acclaim from music critics, who celebrated its open lyricism.
Background
American singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers rose to prominence in the late 2010s with a blend of subdued and specific songwriting that quickly garnered her a significant level of fame among indie rock fans.[4] Bridgers grew up writing songs and playing guitar; a Los Angeles native, she attended its County High School for the Arts, where she studied vocal jazz. In 2017, she released her debut album, Stranger in the Alps, on Indiana-based indie label Dead Oceans. The LP received widespread acclaim from critics and peers; guitarist John Mayer heralded it as "the arrival of a giant".[5]
She rapidly became an in-demand performer, guesting on songs with the National, Fiona Apple, the 1975, and Jackson Browne.[6] She formed the all-female supergroup boygenius with musicians Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus, which released an EP in 2018.[7] She also began collaborating with Conor Oberst, forming the band Better Oblivion Community Center; it released its debut, self-titled album in 2019.[8] She also began closely working with singer-songwriter Christian Lee Hutson, going on to produce Hutson's debut album, Beginners, released in 2020.[4] Ryan Leas, writing for Stereogum, observed that Bridgers' growing body of work—particularly before releasing a second album—was already "diverse and complex".[9]
Writing and recording
Bridgers first began developing songs for Punisher while on the road touring; many songs predate the release of Alps.[8] Songs such as "ICU" were written at soundchecks.[9] Bridgers considered her efforts on Punisher nothing revolutionary but rather a breakthrough in combining her disparate influences: "how to reference a hundred things at once that I've always loved," she said.[10] She continued to work with drummer Marshall Vore as her closest collaborator, often approaching him first with song ideas.[10] Lyrically, she aimed to imbue each song with an interesting angle, even when it had little to do with her.[10] She reworked lyrics frequently,[5] writing placeholder verses to amuse herself that she ultimately enjoyed too much to replace.[10]
Punisher was recorded at Sound City, a celebrated studio in the L.A. neighborhood of Van Nuys.[8] Bridgers considered its illustrious past "not a big selling point" for her[11] but conceded it to be a "magical place". Punisher hosts a wide array of guest performers, including all of Bridgers' collaborators on her side projects.[10] She noted that many contributors to the album appear because they were simply around Sound City at the time,[9] including veteran percussionist Jim Keltner—known for his work with Bob Dylan and John Lennon—who performs on two tracks, and musician Blake Mills, who adds to three songs on Punisher.[8]
The album was worked on sporadically between mid-2018 and late 2019.[4] To produce Punisher, she recruited Tony Berg and Ethan Gruska, two previous collaborators on Alps.[4] The album came together in a sequential order; many songs were recorded in the order they appear on the album.[9] For the title track, Gruska utilized samples of birds, a Mellotron and a back-masked clip of Bridgers' voice that fade in and out at various points in the song—or as Bridgers puts it, "riding the faders". The technique is one she learned from engineer Joseph Lorge.[8] Bridgers also continued her practice of double tracking all of her vocals as a tribute to her favorite artist, singer-songwriter Elliott Smith.[10] Sonically, the album mixes Bridgers' "arpeggiated guitar work" with "looping synths and eerily groaning strings".[7]
Themes and composition
Punisher has been described as an indie rock,[12] emo-folk,[13] and indie folk album.[14] Lyrically, it tackles themes of "missed connections, the tension between the inner and outer self, [and] the lonely ache of watching things end."[10] In a press release, Bridgers used the words "crying" and the feeling of numbness to describe its contents.[9] Quinn Moreland of Pitchfork interpreted the LP as born from "languid spells of depression, desire, and self-destruction".[6] The album's liner notes dedicate it to Max, a black pug Bridgers had for sixteen years until his passing in 2019. His death had a profound effect on Bridgers, who noted that "going home to an empty apartment was pretty fucked up" and that perhaps it worked its way into the darkness present on Punisher.[6] She also credited the author Joan Didion as an inspiration on Punisher[5] and referenced the podcast My Favorite Murder in two separate articles highlighting her influences on Punisher: "I think it probably snuck in (to the album)," she remarked.[6][8]
Bridgers' songwriting ranges from sardonic to sharply honest;[9] Lindsay Zoladz of The New York Times observed that Bridgers "weav[es] tiny, specific, time-stamped details (chemtrails, Saltines, serotonin) into durable big-tent tapestries of feeling."[7] Altogether, the album chronicles Bridgers' personal journey towards therapy and being able to better enjoy life. While Alps is rooted in trauma, Punisher identifies tools she used to deal with that trauma.[9]
Songs
The instrumental "DVD Menu" opens the LP and segues into "Garden Song", the album's lead single. "Garden Song" centers on self-manifestation and how one's actions can push things into motion. Bridgers considered it a "sequel" of sorts to "Smoke Signals", the lead single from Alps, in that they are both love songs.[9] Bridgers described "Kyoto" as based around the concept of dissociation—confusion between surroundings and identity, or as Bridgers put it, "living outside your body when cool shit is happening". The song originated from a trip to Japan in which she felt apathetic and unmotivated to explore, and its lyrics are based on her complex relationship with her father. "Kyoto" has been described as one of the catchier songs on the album; its upbeat tone was requested by Berg, who felt she had written too many slow ballads.[9] The title track derives its name from an in-joke among musicians: a punisher is an overzealous fan,[7] one who "lingers at the merch table a little too long".[9][5] The song examines her longtime love for Elliott Smith, with Bridgers imagining a conversation between them in which she would be the punisher, given her intense devotion to his music.[5] Bridgers thought she might self-title the album but settled on Punisher because it seemed cool and she thought it described her sometimes.[9]
"Halloween" centers on a decaying relationship that is being clung to until the holidays.[6] The song's development took over a year and a half, with Bridgers struggling with a verse. Conor Oberst, who sings in the song's second half, suggested she write about a conversation topic she brought up frequently: murders that have taken place at L.A.'s Dodger Stadium.[9] "Moon Song" romanticizes a lover who hates themselves. Many commentators singled out the couplet "We hate 'Tears in Heaven'/But it's sad his baby died" as particularly memorable: these lines refer to guitarist Eric Clapton's account of his son's tragic death.[9] She wrote the melody to follow-up song "Savior Complex" in a dream,[4] a folk rock and baroque indie pop waltz,[15][16] which carries on the subject of a difficult relationship.[9] "ICU"—as in intensive care unit—has been called a "devastating breakup song"[4] and recounts Bridgers' breakup with collaborator Marshall Vore, who remains her touring drummer and confidant.[9] It contains the lyric "I hate your mom/I hate it when she opens her mouth," which stemmed from an altercation Bridgers had with an ex's mother, who argued with her about President Donald Trump while grocery shopping.[4] Bridgers briefly re-titled the song "I See You" upon its debut, so as to remain sensitive to those suffering from COVID-19, but the name was reverted upon the album's release and remains "ICU" on physical editions.
Bridgers penned "Graceland Too"—a country-tinged, lyrical folk, and banjo-led ballad that sonically references her love of bluegrass[15][17][8]—on a trip to Nashville to visit her bandmates in boygenius, who later added vocals to the song.[4] The title references a shrine and tourist attraction to Elvis Presley, south of the original Graceland in the U.S. state of Mississippi. To Bridgers, the locale is used as a vehicle and a "cheap" way to express her feelings.[9] "I Know the End" which starts as a folk song,[16] went through several different iterations and was both the first song to be developed and the last to see completion. Bridgers and Vore first developed the song as a depiction of tour-related depression. Its third verse depicts a coastal drive to visit her relatives in northern California where she saw a SpaceX launch that resembled a spaceship.[9] Bridgers sings of passing a highway billboard that reads "the end is near". A chorus of guest vocalists join in and collide in a cacophony of screams.[7]
Release
Punisher was highly anticipated.[13] The album's first single, "Garden Song", was released on February 26, 2020,[18] with its follow-up, "Kyoto", seeing release on April 9 of that year.[19] The album's third single "ICU" (retitled "I See You") was released on May 19, 2020.[20]
The LP was scheduled for release on June 19[19]—or Juneteenth, the official end of slavery in the U.S.—but Bridgers opted to release it early on digital services, with an announcement encouraging fans to donate to organizations seeking racial justice.[3][11] It debuted during a worldwide quarantine related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and amid a period of civil unrest in the U.S., with citizens protesting the murder by police of George Floyd and other people of color. "I'm not [delaying] the record until things go back to 'normal' because I don't think they should," Bridgers wrote on Twitter.[10] Touring plans for Punisher were postponed due to the aforementioned pandemic. Bridgers was scheduled to open for the 1975 on a stadium tour.[8] Bridgers announced a headlining tour set for September and October 2021.[21]
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 8.4/10[22] |
Metacritic | 90/100[23] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [24] |
The A.V. Club | A−[17] |
Consequence of Sound | A−[25] |
The Daily Telegraph | [26] |
The Independent | [27] |
The Line of Best Fit | 8/10[28] |
NME | [29] |
Pitchfork | 8.7/10[30] |
Slant Magazine | [31] |
Rolling Stone | [13] |
Punisher received widespread acclaim from music critics. The album has a score of 90 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim", based on 31 reviews.[32]
Pitchfork's Sam Sodomsky designated it with the publication's "Best New Music" tag, calling it "marvelous, [...] candid, multi-dimensional, slyly psychedelic, and full of heart. Her music has become a world unto itself."[30] Jonathan Bernstein from Rolling Stone called the work visionary, "eleven expertly rendered, largely downcast songs about broken faith, desperate, occasionally self-destructive love, and tenuous recovery."[13] NME gave the album a perfect score, writing, "The LA songwriter's ability to paint this lingering feeling of dread so vividly is perhaps the biggest factor in her rapid rise to cultish indie household name; just look at the state of the world right now."[33]
David Sackllah of Consequence of Sound gave the album an A−, writing "Punisher beams with a restless energy and twisted dream logic that erupts into striking moments of clarity in a way reminiscent of the National's Boxer.[25] Fred Thomas at AllMusic opined that the LP "reaches new depths [...] It's an album of shockingly self-aware explorations of dark feelings and Bridgers is more willing than ever before to throw herself headlong into the darkness."[17] Alexandra Pollard from The Independent felt that Bridgers "sharpened and broadened her songwriting" on the album;[27] New York Times contributor Lindsay Zoladz designated it as a "critic's pick".[7]
Robert Christgau was less enthusiastic, highlighting the songs "ICU" and "Graceland Too" while summarizing the album's merits with the following statement: "If articulated depression is what you crave, does she have lyrical and musical detail for you—philosophical solace or melodic relief, no".[34]
Accolades
Year-end lists
Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
34th Street Magazine | Street's Favorite Albums of 2020 | — | |
The A.V. Club | The 20 Best Albums of 2020 | 2 |
|
AllMusic | AllMusic Best of 2020 | — | |
Billboard | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 15 |
|
Clash | Clash Albums Of The Year 2020 | 3 |
|
Consequence of Sound | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 3 |
|
Crack | The Top 50 Albums of 2020 | 10 |
|
Double J | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 15 |
|
Esquire | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 1 |
|
Exclaim! | Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 3 |
|
The Fader | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 5 |
|
Gaffa | 2020's 20 Best Foreign Albums | 8 |
|
Gigwise | The Gigwise 51 Best Albums of 2020 | 15 |
|
Glamour | The 30 Best Albums of 2020 | — | |
The Guardian | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 16 |
|
Alim Kheraj's Albums of 2020 | — | ||
Elle Hunt's Albums of 2020 | — | ||
Eve Barlow's Albums of 2020 | — | ||
Gwilym Mumford's Albums of 2020 | — | ||
Kate Solomon's Albums of 2020 | — | ||
Kathryn Bromwich's Albums of 2020 | — | ||
Katie Hawthorne's Albums of 2020 | — | ||
GQ (UK) | Best Albums of 2020 | 2 |
|
Insider | The 20 Best Albums of 2020, Ranked | 4 |
|
The Line of Best Fit | The Best Albums of 2020 Ranked | 4 |
|
The New Yorker | The Best Music of 2020 | 10 |
|
The New York Times | Lindsay Zoladz's Best Albums of 2020 | 2 |
|
NME | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 5 |
|
Noisey | The 100 Best Albums of 2020 | 22 |
|
NPR | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 4 |
|
Nylon | Nylon's Top Albums Of 2020 | — | |
Our Culture Mag | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 2 |
|
Paste | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 14 |
|
Pitchfork | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 4 |
|
PopBuzz | The 20 Best Albums of 2020 | 7 |
|
PopSugar | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 14 |
|
Rolling Stone | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 10 |
|
Shondaland | The Best Music of 2020 | — | |
The Skinny | Top 10 Albums of 2020 | 2 |
|
Slate | The Best Albums of 2020 | 1 |
|
Spin | The 30 Best Albums of 2020 | 7 |
|
Stereogum | The Top 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 28 |
|
Time Out | The 15 Best Albums of 2020 | — | |
Under the Radar | Top 100 Albums of 2020 | 1 |
|
Uproxx | The Best Albums of 2020 | 15 |
|
Us Weekly | 10 Best Albums of 2020 | 7 |
|
USA Today | The 10 Best Albums of 2020 | 8 |
|
Variety | Chris Willman's Albums of 2020 | 7 |
|
Jem Aswad's Albums of 2020 | 6 |
||
Vulture | The Best Albums of 2020 | 5 |
|
Wonderland | The Best Albums of 2020 (Part 2) | — | |
Awards
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominated Work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Grammy Awards | Best Alternative Music Album | Punisher | Nominated | [80] |
Best Rock Performance | "Kyoto" | Nominated | |||
Best Rock Song | Nominated |
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "DVD Menu" | Phoebe Bridgers | 1:09 |
2. | "Garden Song" |
| 3:39 |
3. | "Kyoto" |
| 3:04 |
4. | "Punisher" |
| 3:09 |
5. | "Halloween" |
| 4:31 |
6. | "Chinese Satellite" |
| 3:37 |
7. | "Moon Song" | Bridgers | 4:37 |
8. | "Savior Complex" |
| 4:01 |
9. | "ICU" |
| 3:10 |
10. | "Graceland Too" |
| 3:56 |
11. | "I Know the End" |
| 5:44 |
Total length: | 40:37 |
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.
Musicians
- Julien Baker – vocals (10, 11)
- Tony Berg – electric guitar (3, 6, 8, 9), autoharp (3), Syndrum (4), Mellotron (7), bandura (7), banjo (10)
- Phoebe Bridgers – lead vocals, baritone electric guitar (1, 3, 6, 11), "rubber Bridgers" guitar (3, 9), electric guitar (3, 9), fader performance (4), nylon guitar (7), hi strung guitar (8, 10)
- Anna Butterss – bass (9)
- Lucy Dacus – vocals (10, 11)
- Lukas Frank – vocals (11)
- Ethan Gruska – sound design (1, 5–8, 11), programming (2), synthesizers (2, 3, 5, 11), electric guitar (3), acoustic guitar (9), Mellotron (3, 9, 11), piano (4, 5, 7), Pocket Piano (7), vocoder (4), fader performance (4), tenor bass (4), sub-bass (4), bass (6, 7), Optigan flutes (5, 11), sampling (9), pump organ (10)
- Christian Lee Hutson – 12-string guitar (2), baritone electric guitar (5), acoustic guitar (8), celeste (8), vocals (11)
- Jim Keltner – drums (5, 8)
- Jenny Lee Lindberg – bass (3, 9, 11)
- Joseph Lorge – electric guitar (3)
- Malcolm McRae – vocals (11)
- Blake Mills – baritone electric guitar (5), slat drum (5), clarinet (8)
- Rob Moose – strings (1, 4, 6, 8, 11), string arrangement
- Conor Oberst – vocals (5, 11)
- Emily Retsas – bass (11)
- Kane Ritchotte – vocals (11)
- Sebastian Steinberg – upright bass (5, 8), bowed bass (10)
- Tomberlin – vocals (11)
- Marshall Vore – drums (3, 6, 7, 9, 11), percussion (3, 4, 6, 9, 11), vocals (9, 11)
- Jeroen Vrijhoef – vocals (2, 11)
- Nathaniel Walcott – horns (3, 11), horn arrangement
- Sara Watkins – fiddle (10)
- Nick White – piano (11), Mellotron (11)
- Harrison Whitford – electric guitar (3, 6, 7, 9), 12-string acoustic guitar (3), 12-string electric guitar (3), hi strung acoustic guitar (3), acoustic guitar (10)
- Nick Zinner – electric guitar (11)
Engineers
|
Artwork
|
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[102] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[103] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ↑ Skinner, Tom (July 29, 2020). "Watch Phoebe Bridgers' eerie new video for 'I Know The End'". NME. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
- ↑ "Future Releases - Triple A". allaccess.org. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
- 1 2 Shaffer, Claire (June 18, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers Drops Album Early, Encourages Donations for Racial Justice". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 18, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Martoccio, Angie (May 27, 2020). "Laughter, Tears, and Harmony: How Phoebe Bridgers Made 'Punisher'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Petrusich, Amanda (May 17, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers's Frank, Anxious Music". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Moreland, Quinn (June 18, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers on the 10 Things That Influenced Her New Album, Punisher". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Zoladz, Lindsay (June 19, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers Wants to Believe". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Zellner, Xander (June 3, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers Geeked Out on Bluegrass, a Murder Podcast & More While Making New Album". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Leas, Ryan (June 18, 2020). "The Story Behind Every Song On Phoebe Bridgers' New Album Punisher". Stereogum. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Martin, Rachel; Haney, Taylor; Touros, Cyrena (June 18, 2020). "It 'Feels Like A Graduation': Phoebe Bridgers On 'Punisher'". NPR. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- 1 2 Wood, Mikael (June 18, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers is a singer-songwriter for the ages. Especially this one". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- ↑ Salmon, Ben; et al. (June 16, 2020). "The Best Indie Rock Albums of 2020 (So Far)". Paste. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 Bernstein, Jonathan (June 17, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers' 'Punisher' is a Visionary Emo-Folk Album". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ↑ YP Team (April 6, 2021). "Phoebe Bridgers, Punisher". SCMP. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
- 1 2 Stanley, Laura. "Phoebe Bridgers' Miraculous 'Punisher' Is Larger Than Life". Exclaim!. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- 1 2 Salmon, Ben (June 17, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers captures the mudanity of sadness". Paste. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- 1 2 3 Rife, Katie (June 19, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers is as anxious as the rest of us, but Punisher is still a soothing balm". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- ↑ Minsker, Evan (February 26, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers Shares Video for New Song "Garden Song": Watch". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on April 3, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- 1 2 Schatz, Lake (April 9, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers Announces New Album Punisher, Shares "Kyoto": Stream". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on May 16, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ↑ Strauss, Matthew (May 19, 2020). "Listen to Phoebe Bridgers' New Song "I See You"". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ↑ Blistein, Jon (23 August 2021). "Phoebe Bridgers Plots North American Tour". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ↑ "Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on June 14, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- ↑ "Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- ↑ Thomas, Fred. "Punisher - Phoebe Bridgers | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 5, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- 1 2 Sackllah, David (June 17, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers' Punisher Establishes the Songwriter as a Singular Voice: Review". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ↑ McCormick, Neil (June 19, 2020). "Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers, review: a devastatingly assured album from the songwriter of the moment". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on June 20, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- 1 2 Pollard, Alexandra (June 17, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers review, Punisher: A fantastic, fatalistic album". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- ↑ Nash, Ed (June 18, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers Punisher album review". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
- ↑ Hunt, El (June 17, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers – 'Punisher' review: atmospheric indie with an undercurrent of anxiety". NME. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- 1 2 Sodomsky, Sam (June 22, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers: Punisher". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- ↑ Walsh, Jordan (June 9, 2020). "Review: Phoebe Bridgers's Punisher Gorgeously Simmers with Impending Doom". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- ↑ "Reviews and Tracks for Stranger in the Alps by Phoebe Bridgers". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ↑ Hunt, El (June 17, 2020). "Phoebe Bridgers – 'Punisher' review: atmospheric indie with an undercurrent of anxiety". NME. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert (January 13, 2021). "Consumer Guide: January, 2021". And It Don't Stop. Substack. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
- ↑ "Street's Favorite Albums of 2020". 34th Street Magazine. December 8, 2020. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ↑ "The 20 best albums of 2020". The A.V. Club. December 15, 2020. Archived from the original on December 19, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- ↑ "AllMusic Best of 2020 | AllMusic 2020 in Review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2020: Staff Picks". Billboard. December 7, 2020. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ↑ "Clash Albums Of The Year 2020". Clash. December 14, 2020. Archived from the original on December 14, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Consequence of Sound. December 1, 2020. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ↑ "The Top 50 Albums of 2020". Crack Magazine. December 5, 2020. Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- ↑ Condon, Dan (December 9, 2020). "The 50 best albums of 2020". Double J via ABC.net.au. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ↑ Ovenden, Olivia (December 11, 2020). "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Esquire. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ↑ "50 Best Albums of 2020". Exclaim!. December 2, 2020. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ↑ "The 50 best albums of 2020". The Fader. December 15, 2020. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ↑ "Her er årets 20 bedste udenlandske album". Gaffa (in Danish). Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ↑ "The Gigwise 51 Best Albums of 2020". Gigwise. December 1, 2020. Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ↑ Rosa, Christopher (December 15, 2020). "The 30 Best Albums of 2020". Glamour. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ↑ "The 50 best albums of 2020: the full list". The Guardian. December 4, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ↑ "Guardian albums and tracks of 2020: how our writers voted". The Guardian. December 18, 2020. Archived from the original on December 18, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
- ↑ "Best albums of 2020 that made the year more tolerable". British GQ. December 17, 2020. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- ↑ Ahlgrim, Callie (December 8, 2020). "The 20 best albums of 2020, ranked". Insider. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- ↑ "The Best Albums Of 2020 Ranked". The Line of Best Fit. December 3, 2020. Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ↑ Schatz, Lake (November 27, 2020). "The Best Music of 2020". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- ↑ Zoladz, Lindsay (December 2, 2020). "Lindsay Zoladz's Best Albums of 2020". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
- ↑ "The 50 best albums of 2020". NME. December 11, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ↑ "The 100 Best Albums of 2020". Noisey via Vice.com. December 8, 2020. Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
- ↑ "The Best Albums of 2020". NPR. December 2, 2020. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ↑ "Nylon's Top Albums Of 2020". Nylon. December 14, 2020. Archived from the original on December 14, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ↑ Pappis, Konstantinos (December 14, 2020). "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Our Culture Mag. Archived from the original on December 14, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Paste. November 30, 2020. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ↑ Zhang, Cat (December 8, 2020). "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on December 9, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- ↑ "The 20 Best Albums of 2020". PopBuzz. December 10, 2020. Archived from the original on December 10, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ↑ Cubit, Brea (December 14, 2020). "Presenting 50 of the Best Albums to Drop in 2020". PopSugar. Archived from the original on December 22, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ↑ "The 50 Albums of 2020". Rolling Stone. December 4, 2020. Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ↑ Hayes, Tyler (December 1, 2020). "The Best Music of 2020". Shondaland. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- ↑ "Favourite Albums of 2020". The Skinny. November 30, 2020. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- ↑ "The Best Albums of 2020". Slate. December 4, 2020. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ↑ "The 30 Best Albums of 2020". Spin. December 10, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Stereogum. December 1, 2020. Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ↑ "The 15 best albums of 2020: new music that pulled us through". Time Out. December 11, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ↑ "Top 100 Albums of 2020". Under the Radar. January 15, 2021. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
- ↑ "The Best Albums of 2020". Uproxx. December 1, 2020. Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
- ↑ Hautman, Nicholas (December 24, 2020). "10 Best Albums of 2020 Include Taylor Swift, Bob Dylan, The Weeknd and More: Year in Review". Us Weekly. Archived from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ↑ Ryan, Patrick (December 15, 2020). "The 10 best albums of 2020, including Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Chloe x Halle". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 14, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ↑ Willman, Chris (December 15, 2020). "Year In Review: The Best Albums of 2020 (Chris Willman)". Variety. Archived from the original on December 18, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ↑ Aswad, Jem (December 15, 2020). "Year In Review: The Best Albums of 2020 (Jem Aswad)". Variety. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ↑ Jenkins, Craig (December 9, 2020). "The Best Albums of 2020". Vulture. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ↑ Slater, Bailey (December 18, 2020). "The Best Albums of 2020 (Part 2)". Wonderland. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ↑ Strauss, Matthew (24 November 2020). "Grammy Nominations 2021: Beyoncé, Fiona Apple, Phoebe Brigers, Taylor Swift Lead Nominees". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2020-11-24. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
- ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
- ↑ "Phoebe Bridgers Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
- ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
- ↑ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
- ↑ "Charts.nz – Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
- ↑ "Veckolista Vinyl, vecka 7". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
- ↑ "Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50 - 26 June 2020". Official Charts. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ↑ "Phoebe Bridgers Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ↑ "Phoebe Bridgers Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
- ↑ "Phoebe Bridgers Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
- ↑ "Phoebe Bridgers Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
- ↑ "Phoebe Bridgers Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
- ↑ "Phoebe Bridgers Chart History (Vinyl Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ↑ "Top Current Album Sales - Year-End 2020". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ↑ "Top Current Album Sales - Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
- ↑ "British album certifications – Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
- ↑ "American album certifications – Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 23, 2023.