10 Best Sequels To Incredible Albums

5. Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher

‘Punisher’ is only modern folk-rock hero Phoebe Bridgers' second LP. Noteworthy given she was only 25 when it was released in June 2020. Rather than just a second studio album, Phoebe considers this record an extension to her tender classic ‘Stranger in the Alps’. She’s commented: “There’s bits on this record that do feel weirdly like a sequel.”

It’s been labelled as a confessional emo-folk album in comparison to the melancholic feel of Stranger In The Alps. She recorded most of it on the road in-between soundchecks. She address death and purpose in the lyrics throughout, evolving the themes she perfected on her first album. The acoustic harmonies permeate like some eerie dream on Punisher. It’s less catchy but far more reflective with lyrics like, “The doctor put her hands over my liver, and she told me my resentments getting smaller.”

Within Punisher’s track listing, there are even singular sequels to songs, with ‘Savior Complex’ continuing on from previous song ‘Moon Song’. Phoebe expressed, “Songs like Moon Song and Savior Complex, when I wrote them, they felt like different versions of each other. I was like, ‘Oh, sh*t, Savior Complex is the sequel to that song’, so it should be right after.” Bridgers believes ‘Garden Song’ too is a "sequel" of sorts to her acclaimed ‘Smoke Signals’ single.

Punisher was released to critical acclaim, with The Daily Telegraph and NME both giving it five-star ratings. It deserved six.