Decoder Ring
Subtle references to Elliott Smith, Damien Jurado, Bright Eyes, and more are there if you listen closely enough to the music and lyrics on her new album
Phoebe Bridgers loves to nod to her heroes. Her lyrics, like those of many of her biggest musical influences, are dense texts, full of winking allusions and subtle references to records, bands, and albums that have shaped her own songwriting. Sometimes, Bridgers uses music as a small narrative detail (see the Lemmy and Smiths shoutouts in “Smoke Signals”), and sometimes she just writes an entire verse about music (see the famous Lennon and Clapton-referencing “Moon Song”). Other times, she’ll make a reference that’s barely noticeable until it’s pointed out (the line about someone being “bored” in the “Motion Sickness” bridge has been interpreted as a dig at the chorus of Ryan Adams’ “Outbound Train”).
But Bridgers’ stunning new album, Lost Weekend, has seemingly even more allusions to albums and songs in her record collection than ever. Here are a few likely call-outs that caught our attention.
Elliott Smith, “Angel in the Snow”
