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Little Oblivions
Little Oblivions in Bloomington, MN
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Size: CD
Julien Baker
's third album,
Little Oblivions
, follows her first appearance on the Billboard 200 with 2017's
Turn Out the Lights
as well as a full-length collaboration with like-minded singer/songwriters
Phoebe Bridgers
and
Lucy Dacus
under the handle
Boygenius
. Giving the impression of being ready for bigger stages,
turns up the volume and expands arrangements, including notably adding a consistent rhythm section to her songs for the first time. Beyond mere "full-band arrangement," though, tracks like "Ringside" and opener "Hardline" feature rousing, arena-sized moments with a sea of ringing guitars, shimmery keys, and, in the case of the former, full drum kit and crashing cymbals. As if to prepare listeners, the album's opening seconds comprise a mix of fuzzy keyboard tones, low strings, and electronics. It's a sharp contrast to her sparse and brittle debut, though the music remains almost entirely self-made, with
Baker
performing all but an "additional instrumentation" credit from engineer
Calvin Lauber
and backing vocals by
Dacus
Bridgers
on one track ("Favor"). What also hasn't changed over time are the songwriter's self-examining, ruminative lyrics and pained vocal delivery, presented here in tandem with a very heavy dose of self-loathing. Lyrics like, "Face down in the carpet, I wish you'd hurt me/It's the mercy I can't take" ("Song in E") and "How long do I have until I've spent up everyone's good will?" ("Favor") populate emo-adjacent songs about waning faith, drinking, depression, and doomed relationships. There are glimmers of gratitude alongside the masochistic ideation of entries including "Ringside," where she casts herself as her own opponent in the ring. That song also deviates from typically rising and falling, sine wave-shaped instrumentation patterns, opting instead of constantly churning accompaniment. Elsewhere, "Song in E" offers another change of pace with a despondent piano ballad. Despite the bigger sound on average, however,
's brutal lyrical authenticity remains the main attraction. ~ Marcy Donelson
's third album,
Little Oblivions
, follows her first appearance on the Billboard 200 with 2017's
Turn Out the Lights
as well as a full-length collaboration with like-minded singer/songwriters
Phoebe Bridgers
and
Lucy Dacus
under the handle
Boygenius
. Giving the impression of being ready for bigger stages,
turns up the volume and expands arrangements, including notably adding a consistent rhythm section to her songs for the first time. Beyond mere "full-band arrangement," though, tracks like "Ringside" and opener "Hardline" feature rousing, arena-sized moments with a sea of ringing guitars, shimmery keys, and, in the case of the former, full drum kit and crashing cymbals. As if to prepare listeners, the album's opening seconds comprise a mix of fuzzy keyboard tones, low strings, and electronics. It's a sharp contrast to her sparse and brittle debut, though the music remains almost entirely self-made, with
Baker
performing all but an "additional instrumentation" credit from engineer
Calvin Lauber
and backing vocals by
Dacus
Bridgers
on one track ("Favor"). What also hasn't changed over time are the songwriter's self-examining, ruminative lyrics and pained vocal delivery, presented here in tandem with a very heavy dose of self-loathing. Lyrics like, "Face down in the carpet, I wish you'd hurt me/It's the mercy I can't take" ("Song in E") and "How long do I have until I've spent up everyone's good will?" ("Favor") populate emo-adjacent songs about waning faith, drinking, depression, and doomed relationships. There are glimmers of gratitude alongside the masochistic ideation of entries including "Ringside," where she casts herself as her own opponent in the ring. That song also deviates from typically rising and falling, sine wave-shaped instrumentation patterns, opting instead of constantly churning accompaniment. Elsewhere, "Song in E" offers another change of pace with a despondent piano ballad. Despite the bigger sound on average, however,
's brutal lyrical authenticity remains the main attraction. ~ Marcy Donelson
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