Julien Baker - Little Oblivions (February 26, 2021; Matador) Album • Page 47

Finally really sat down and listened along with the lyric booklet.

Some thoughts:

1. Same lyrical themes: The subjects Julien fans have always been drawn to are all still there. Notably: Alcohol and sobriety, suicide, unhealthy coping mechanisms, love of others over herself, etc..
2. Reading the lyrics along with listening really helped me to like certain songs more than I initially did, namely Crying Wolf. I recommend doing so. If you don’t have the physical booklet, Genius has all the lyrics up.
3. I know there’s some people saying they miss her wails, but I noticed them a few times, just more subdued.
4. I think my biggest gripe is it feels very same-y. I’m hoping that with further listens songs will become more pronounced from one another.
5. Current favorites: Hardline, Ringside, and Repeat

 

got my record :)

 

I’ve had the album on repeat all day. I can tell you that the nuance does come out over repeated listenings.

 

Ziptie is one of those songs that I got 2/3rds of the way through and realized I didn’t pay enough attention so I restarted it. What a stunner.

 

I feel like Ringside and Relative Fiction should have been singles

 

big big agree. I was pleasantly surprised at how varied the sounds and melodies were on this album. Compared to TOTL it’s borderline experimental lol

 

I have now listened to this album and I gotta say I totally disagree. Every song has intricate instrumentation and production that she’s never done before.

Her songwriting and melodies haven’t evolved significantly (to me she’s always been an incredibly incisive lyricist and this is no different), but there is no way in heck I could hear any of these songs on Turn Off The Lights, and certainly not her super sparse debut.

Also this album is an incredible achievement and anyone who says otherwise is not letting it sit with them in the right way. It’s absolutely a headphones record, to start. And if you’re not giving yourself just to the music (vs while doing something else), you’re not going to be able to center yourself in it.

 

Absolutely this. I keep finding myself deep in my thoughts as I listen to it. I can’t do anything else.

 

This is pretty easily an AOTY contender for me but MAN does it make want more boygenius

 

My first Julien album! Liked it a lot!

 

1000% this.

 

Yeah maybe it’s because I’ve heard the other records a thousand times now but pretty much the only song here I could see fitting in on them is Song In E

 

I thought Crying Wolf sounded very TOTL era, kinda feels in the same vein as Everything That Helps You Sleep

 

thought this as well.

 

Crying wolf was the one that stuck out to me as potentially working on totl. Maybe song in e too. That’s about it tho

 

Also, the start of Repeat sounds exactly like the end of Over / start of Appointments.

 

Yeah this is my AOTY right now, incredible album.

 

This is the first Julien Baker album I truly like in full.

 

Cause I don't need a savior, I need you to take me home
I don't need your help, I need you to leave me alone
I'm out where the drunks at the bar talk over the band
I try to express, I can't understand
I beat at the keys, I bloody my hands
'Til you hear me
I've got no business praying
I'm finished being good
Now I can finally be okay and not the way I thought I should

I mean, come on - so good

 

I definitely had the same feeling hearing this for the first time that I did when I heard Punisher. That “oh shit, this is going to define my year.”

 

punisher definitely felt like a big leap for Phoebe, and this feels like a leap for Julien too

 

Yeah, I absolutely fucking love this after repeated listens. Gets better each time.

 

Now give me that Lucy leap

 

Lucy leap is yr next band name

 

It really does. I haven’t listened to anything else all weekend.