Now, I haven’t heard too many seriously great instrumental intros this year. But “Over” is actually one of the better ones I’ve heard. It’s just so dramatic and emotional, and it really sets up nicely for Julien’s performance when it does eventually roll in on the next track. So no, this intro isn’t unbelievably necessary, but it’s all really sweet and certainly interesting. Now, if you’re familiar with Julien’s usual sound, “Appointments” isn’t that far off. It’s very soft and sort of whimsical, with her usual elements of Dream Pop, tossed in nicely. But man, this is seriously deep, with Julien going into these major feelings of rejection and loneliness that are just so damn gripping. Very quickly, you can tell you’re dealing with a songwriter whose going to throw everything she has at you, and quickly too. Julien doesn’t hold anything back lyrically, and her very gripping vocal performance is just as jaw-dropping. It’s just so sweet and tender, and you can tell that one line after the next is just so deep and personal. But as sweet and tender as this is, it doesn’t take anything away from how overwhelmingly powerful this is. “Appointments” is one hell of an indie tune, and is one of the most striking performances I’ve heard all year. The very light and dreamy feel of this album continue to be overwhelming with “Turn Out The Lights”. But Julien’s performances are all so piercing and dominant that it breaks through all of that. As far as a personable Singer/Songwriter tune goes, this one really stops you in your tracks. Actually, a lot of these tracks do. But I think this one’s power comes from its seriously unreal pacing. Julien gets you into this false sense that this whole track is going to be all dreamy and sweet, to the point where when the more electric guitars pop in and her absolutely stunning vocals boom forward, it’s actually jaw-dropping. What an unbelievable tune “Turn Out The Lights” really is, I actually really wish it was longer. I continue to seriously love the atmosphere of this album with “Shadowboxing”, as well as incredibly whimsical a lot of this is. The very delicate piano playing is very nice, but Julien’s performance remains the star. Here, Julien goes deep into these thoughts of being at war with yourself, mostly with fears, and it’s actually quite stunning. The amount of personality young Julien has is seriously commendable, and just how comfortable she is with going into detail about who she is, is truly incredible. This one’s pacing, however, is the real key. It continues to really help Julien’s performance, with the instrumentals that come int saves and Julien’s gigantic vocals that continue to blow my mind. So far, you’re damn right this is a great Singer/Songwriter project.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV1dMqeb4_U
“Sour Breath” is up next. Now, by this point I have to say if you’re in the mood for a more in-your-face album instrumentally, this obviously isn’t for you. This album is just so delicate and comes off almost like a series of Diary entries from Julien. But as comfortable Julien is with herself and chatting with us on a personal level practically, she certainly does have a lot of issues with herself still. On “Sour Breath”, she dives into drug use and alcoholism. With her smaller performance this one she comes off so much more vulnerable. It’s a rough song to stomach, but Julien’s deeply personal lyrics and heartfelt performance continues to make this album one of the best I’ve heard this year. Now, I actually love hearing Julien al alone with her Piano, which is exactly what we get on “Televangelist”. It honestly ends up making her performance already more sincere than they are. This one is once again truly gripping, with Julien’s lyrics truly getting to the point of being their most lonely. But this isn’t just another “woe-is-me” Folk tune. No, “Televangelist” shows Julien feeling truly alone in the world. That, alongside this incredibly bare and fragile instrumental, makes this one certainly one you’re going to want a tissue or two for. Not to mention, some of the imagery Julien comes up with is truly incredible. “Everything That Helps You Sleep” is up next, and I honestly feel like this may be the weakest track here. I feel like of all the tunes here, this one really doesn’t bring anything new to the table. I still really dig Julien’s performance, but for me, there’s almost a little bit of a disconnect between her and the instrumentals. The pacing that was really helping her sell the earlier tunes here is completely gone on this one, and the instrumental isn’t nearly as powerful. “Everything That Helps You Sleep” just sort of blends in too much with a lot of the other tracks here. It’s still certainly pleasant to listen to and all. But in an album filled with incredibly memorable Singer/Songwriter tunes, this one just really isn’t cutting it for me. Then we have “Happy to Be Here”, which instantly is so much more memorable. I love these very slow burning instrumentals that Julien works with, they always just seem to make her performance that much bigger. This really is an album all about the wars that go on within ourselves, and learning to love who we are no matter what. The lyrics on this one are just incredible, with Julien screaming “Cause I miss you the way that I miss nicotine. If it makes me feel better, how bad could it be? Well, I heard there’s a fix for everything. Then why not me?”. Whether we know it or not, no matter where you are or whatever your situation is, it’s something we’ve all felt. Julien, this performance, and this album are commendable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK9m_5XDRCU
As this album rolls on with “Hurt Less”, I feel like Julien’s lyrics just get deeper and deeper. This one is just heartbreaking with Julien going into all of these sorts of suicidal/uncaring thoughts she once had, and it’s heart-wrenching. The backing vocals on this one do add just enough dimension to this one that sets this track apart. And actually, it would have been nice to hear a little more of it from time to time. But still, this is just another breathtaking tune from Julien, and I’m impressed with how she really hasn’t run out of things to say. Now, “Even” is just about the most straightforward folk tune here. But instrumentally, this really falls flat. In an album that’s really been fueled by unbelievable pacing and strong arrangements to back up Julien, it just sorts of falls flat. I think as far as her performance goes, it’s decent, but it’s far from her best here. It’s sweet and all, and there are some incredible lines. But when I say that this is really sort of a low point, it really is. Like I said, “Even” is certainly pleasant, but this one doesn’t hold a candle to all of the other incredible tunes here. Thankfully this one ends off with “Claws In Your Back”. This one is the sort of dramatic, Piano Pop tune that Julien does so well up against. She sounds so much more emotionally invested in this tune, and so much more down to earth. It’s moments like this where once again Julien comes off sounding like she’s performing her diary for a one on one audience. It’s really the finale I was hoping we would et here, and it’s wonderful.
Rating: 8.5/10
Give A Listen To: “Appointments”, “Turn Out The Lights”, “Televangelist”, “Happy To Be Here”
Genre: Indie Rock / Indie Folk / Singer Songwriter / Slowcore / Dream Pop
Overall Thoughts: You know I really wanted an incredibly emotional and direct Singer/Songwriter album to really dive into this year. And Julien Baker delivered with an incredibly personal and introspective Indie Folk album that really makes you think. Julien really lets you into her life time and time again, and her incredibly delicate delivery makes you feel like you're catching up with an old friend and letting him/her vent. It's a heartbreaking album that's often truly emotional, but the rewards are incredible.
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