Album Review: Julien Baker - 'Little Oblivions'
Julien Baker is back with her breathtaking new album ‘Little Oblivions’.
The album in true Baker style depicts honest lyricism in the form of striking storytelling, a style which was well set within her previous albums ‘Sprained Ankle’ and ‘Turn out The Lights’. However, she begins to explore new and expansive sonic territories with her first single ‘Faith Healer’ which was released at the end of 2020.
The album which is out now on Matador Records feature drums, bass, synthesizers, banjo and mandolin, creating an encompassing full band sound most of which was recorded by Baker. She did however call in a little help from fellow Boy Genius members Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus to record backing vocals on the track ‘Favor’. The album was recorded in her home town of Memphis, Tennessee across the end of 2019 and start of 2020 and was Engineered by Calvin Lauber and mixed by Craig Silvey (The National, Florence & the Machine, Arcade Fire), both of whom had worked on her previous album ’Turn out The Lights’.
The opening track ‘Hardline’ leads us in with gentle vocals and dark synth sounds and slowly builds to an explosive guitar ending building from the lyric ‘I can see where this is going, but I can’t find the break’. I would say a stand out track for me would be ‘Relative Fiction’ due to its strong rhythmic building sections, but it's hard to pick a favourite in such a strong set of songs. In just twelve tracks, we’re taken through a field of emotions and allowed an insight into the life of Julien Baker from the sorrow to the solace with such raw and honest writing.
From the tender piano in ‘Crying Wolf’ to the other worldly vocal effects in ‘Repeats’ every track takes on a different form to hold our attention close. The closing track ‘Ziptie’ leaves us with the final lyric ‘goodbye. when you gonna call it off, come down off of the cross and change your mind’ and fades out to pulsing synth that replicates a heart monitor that stops suddenly and leaves us feeling cold.
Through effortless vocals and dreamy textures build upon a body of driven guitars and dark pianos we’re delivered an album which creates a feeling of relief and a place to find comfort.
Words by Tamara Grzegorzek