In the quieter, more insular world of independent music, collaboration is more typically an act of solidarity among artists who share experiences and musical interests. This is the driving spirit of boygenius’s self-titled EP, a record that feels more like a mind meld than like a carrousel of songwriters. There is no discernible front woman; the singers trade verses and then come together at unexpected moments to harmonize. Personal confession is a trademark of all of their solo work, but as a collective they encompass the universal. None of these songs are anthemic, but they exude a spirit of unity that tempers their usual reserved sensibilities. Personal turmoil congeals into a sweeping condemnation of the forces that both plague and unify them. “I’ll bite the hand that feeds me,” they harmonize in rounds on “Bite the Hand,” a track about navigating the power dynamic in a relationship, whether personal or professional. They take an unexpected turn at the end of the song, inverting the sentiment of the chorus to make it sting: “I’ll bite the hand that needs me.”
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