Phoebe Bridgers floats above her sinking feelings in Punisher

Phoebe Bridgers on some of the dark inspirations to her album Punisher and the emotional minefield it traverses

Phoebe Bridgers mines her life for her music. Photo: Frank Ockenfels

Phoebe Bridgers’s Kyoto is a song that sounds airborne — and not just because the lyrics refer to planes. It begins with a synthesiser wafting a gentle melodic line. Drums stir accents on the two and four. 

Bridgers floats in, singing the simple verse melody. The mood is wistful, drifting. A few bars pass before a revving electric guitar and bass enter.