Julien Baker Band

Sprained Ankle was one of 2015's best albums.

She played one of those NPR Tiny Desk Concert things and blessed us during it with a new song that was obviously wonderful.

 

I still have to build up the nerve to watch the Tiny Desk concert. Her performance of "Go Home" for Audiotree was monumental

 

Could not be more excited to see where she goes as she expands her sound.

 

Sprained Ankle is one of the best albums I've heard in a long time, she has so much potential and I'm so excited to see what she can do with future releases.

 

"Go Home" is brilliant. That third verse's lyrics wrecks me, and then the ending with the tune of "In Christ Alone" brings it home in the best way possible.

 

"Everybody Does" really, really messes me up. It's almost unlistenable sometimes. The album in general is a tough listen for me. The exploration of reconciliation between sexuality and religion hits very close to home.

 

the first time i listened to the album, the "in christ alone" sample brought me to tears. nothing gets to me like religious imagery in music. thanks weird upbringing. i'm trying to come up with a reflection piece on sexuality/spirituality using sprained ankle as a focal point.

 

Same. Although ultimately I've become nonreligious over time, that was a struggle I certainly dealt with. That track really gets to me, and I get pretty emotional during "Rejoice" too.

 

Yeah I'm no longer religious. But it's fairly taboo for LGBTQA+ people to be attached to religion, so I'm always moved when I see people explore that in their art or just in general conversation. I do often wish I could've found a relationship with it, but it is what it is.

 

Go Home is one the most heartbreakingly beautiful songs I've heard from last year. The quivering final note she makes at the end of the song...

*Insert the blue sad smiley thing here*

 

"Rejoice" has the line that basically sums up how I feel about god. "I think there's a god an he hears either way I rejoice or complain." haha

 

I think that's actually her playing In Christ Alone. I love that she has the sample of the piano line looping from the beginning of the song when she plays it live too. Have you read the story about that recording before? The fact that a televangelist was picked up on the monitors in the studio somehow while she was playing that song is astounding.

 

She's playing Newport Folk Festival. Pretty big fucking deal. It's really great watching her blow up

 

It's kinda crazy how much this recalls the early Pedro the Lion albums.

 

I visit Sprained Ankle every few weeks and it's always worth my while. I really hope it sticks with me still once it gets hotter out.

 

Saw this thread earlier and had to listen again. Still so powerful. Really need to try and catch her live next time she's in my area

 

So little anecdote, I met her years ago through my ex who lives in Mursfreeboro. She and Julien were in an A/V frat together at MTSU, it was her first semester if I remember right, so I met her at various things my ex would do with the frat. The night before I left, which happened to be when I got dumped but that's another story, me and her hung out outside my ex's apartment on the patio and we just talked about where we were from and all kinds of music stuff. I remember we geeked about The Story So Far's What You Don't See. Super cool, down to earth person, I had no idea that she was an up and coming artist until recently. I literally hit up my ex after I saw the album cover, I couldn't believe that it was the same person. Anyhoo, really love her record and will totally be there if she plays a show in St. Louis. Doubt she'll remember me though.

 

I still have yet to listen to Sprained Ankle, but I really need to do that because I've heard nothing but great thing about it.

 

Yeah you need to just devote 40 minutes of your day tomorrow to just sitting down and experiencing it

 

I will do this for sure.

 

Fell in love with rejoice the first time I heard it.. definitely an emotional high point for me

 

Report back and let me know what you think!

 

I've been spending a lot of this time lately. Each listen hits me just as hard as the first time

 

This was my favorite thing to come out in 2015 but I have not listened to it for a couple months. Helped me deal with some shitty things going on when it came out. I was really that I couldn't see her when she came to town because it was at a 21+ venue.

 

Sprained Ankle is really great, but I think I've only listened half a dozen times or so because it's too damn sad. Haven't been in a mood for that kind of downer album in awhile.