I think the world stopped turning for a minute when I heard that Phoebe Bridgers was releasing a set of orchestrally re-worked tracks from her stunning sophomore record, Punisher. Like any other indie 20-something on antidepressants, that record became the soundtrack of my summer by default, played in the background of many nights spent staring at my ceiling, pondering my purpose in life and wondering when my days spent “running around in circles, pretending to be myself” might end. For many, I’m sure something similar became commonplace.
With Punisher’s success this summer, Phoebe acquired even more stardom than she already had post-Stranger In the Alps, allowing her to ascend to a level parallel to other indie singer-songwriter contemporaries such as Mistki, Soccer Mommy, and Snail Mail. With that in mind, her decision to re-release a collection of the record’s tracks, months later, is fitting, as this new EP can serve as a means to reintroduce each song’s excellence to the even wider fanbase she’s recently obtained.
With regard to the final product, she definitely succeeded in somehow transforming the already amazing content she had to work with into genuine artistic mastery, possibly, in part, due to her collaboration with acclaimed string composer and arranger, Rob Moose (who previously worked with her on her track “Georgia”). Throughout Moose’s career, he has worked with the likes of Taylor Swift, FKA Twigs, Bon Iver, Paul Simon, and countless others, and with such a stunning reputation, it’s no question that his talents only added to this project, and further allowed each song to pluck listeners’ heartstrings in a new, meaningful capacity.
To begin, Copycat Killer’s only single, “Kyoto,” takes the once upbeat, indie-pop essence of the original track and gives it a holistically more somber, atmospheric feel, largely due to its new stripped-back, orchestral nature. Moose’s contributions here, and throughout the EP, serve as the lush backboard off which Phoebe’s vocals can ricochet. Similarly, the strings on “Savior Complex” sound off with urgency as the track begins, quickening the subtle sway of the original. In response, Phoebe’s vocals echo, filling one’s headphones and adding to the song’s generally melancholy aura. If you pay close attention, her breaths in between verses, too, add a layer to the vulnerability of the material; each sharp inhale makes it known that she’s exerting her entire self into the delivery of each line.
Those first two tracks on the EP also introduce a common thread seen throughout Copycat Killer: Phoebe’s vocals are pushed to the forefront, where they might’ve been parallel with the instrumentation on Punisher, which certainly adds to their resonance. With “Chinese Satellite,” for example, this is particularly shown — Phoebe doesn’t allow herself to get lost in the strong, abrasive melody provided by the strings. On the line, “I wish I wrote it, but I didn’t,” she gulps on the last word, taking a dip from the soft-sung original version. Here, she’s much blunter and more purposeful with the emphasis she places on certain words, as if she’s begging listeners to pay closer attention to the sentiment behind her poetic prose. As the track ends, she sings, “I want to go home,” and places a question mark at the end of the line, as if to ask, “Where do I really belong?”
Finally, the last re-working of the EP, “Punisher,” begins with a distinct, lone spotlight on Phoebe, her voice singled out as if you’re hearing it reverberate around an empty auditorium. Then, the orchestra pit that supports her comes to life, as if waking up with the sound of her words. As the chorus begins, their playing hastens, mimicking the vaguely romantic, wistful, heartbeat-quickening energy the track emanates. Orchestral sequences such as this remind me of falling of snow — it starts slowly, then darkens the sky with a flurry of white, almost out of nowhere.
In general, each track on Copycat Killer is a particularly strong inclusion off Punisher, if not made stronger with the addition of Rob Moose’s instrumental direction (which is a feat in itself, considering the strength of the originals). That said, together, they create an EP that I almost feel unworthy to listen to. For whatever reason, though, Phoebe decided to grace the masses with yet another wonderful addition to her discography, and for that, I’m grateful. As the days get darker earlier, and the cold settles in, cozying up with these soothing sounds will be the perfect recipe for remedying the winter blues.
