Phoebe Bridgers

Atmospheric backgrounds are a key part of this album. In “The Outside” when Phoebe is discussing a show, there is a crowd cheering that comes through the strong vocals. “Lost Parade” also features the sounds of a crowd cheering while a marching band moves through the track. Meanwhile, on “The Governor’s Waltz” a bumping bass and crowd counting down accompany the lyrics regarding New Year’s Eve.

“Bobby” is more upbeat than Phoebe’s usual songs, but it also has a heavy country sound with a banjo throughout the whole song. It also ends with an audio clip of a robotic voice describing a giveaway, likely from a spam call. While it is a strange ending, it gives the song a dystopian feeling.

Phoebe’s usual nihilistic songwriting is still ever present on “Lost Weekend.” At times, it can be randomly thrown into songs, like in the title track “Lost Weekend.” Lines like “I had the thought you would outlive me/You know me, and I’ll never forgive you for that,” leave a lasting impact as they are thrown into the track like a slap in the face.

“Still Standing” features some of the most devastating lyrics on the album, given that it is about the passing of her father. The lyrics are vulnerable, yet incredibly relatable. Lines like “I can’t imagine you dead/but you are every day” and “sometimes I want you back/just not today,” are able to perfectly encapsulate the complex feelings that come with grieving a parent in which there was a complicated relationship. Phoebe does a really great job of bluntly defining the complexity of missing them so deeply one day, and being able to not think of them on another.

“Lost Weekend” stays true to Bridgers’ devastating singer-songwriter sound, but includes much more production than her past two albums. It is easy to hear just how much Phoebe has grown as an artist throughout these past years, and how much her sound has grown with her.