Could this Baker’s dozen have done with a bit more time in the oven? New Post Time!

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Good Morning to you! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and, as per usual, it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, as it’s routinely my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of new music every day! It’s New Release Friday – and this week’s line-up looks pretty stacked. On paper, we’ve got the return of underrated Geordie’s Maximo Park (More on that tomorrow!), the first new album release in a decade from Instrumental Jazz ensemble Menahan Street Band, a bright new EP from Deap Vally, a neat new collection from Acoustic Singer-Songwriter Lucy Spraggan, and a few others. To many music lovers, however, the most anticipated new LP release this week comes from the Tennessee-born Alternative Folk singer-songwriter Julien Baker, whose third studio record, “Little Oblivions”, is out today via Matador Records. This 12-track production has been absolutely hyped to the hills since “Hardline” was released as the lead single by the internet music community, and Baker is really tipped to be one of 2021’s biggest break-out artists after showing promise in her earlier material – similarly to the way that Phoebe Bridgers found huge success with “Punisher” last year, which may be no coincidence seeing that Baker and Bridgers, along with Lucy Dacus, used to be a part of the trio Boygenuis. The stop-motion video for “Hardline” was directed by Joe Baughman. Let’s see what the fuss is about below.

An LGBT artist, Baker is known for her somber and emotional work, which has been informed by her run-in’s with Christianity in the time of her upbringing, and the new album deals with themes of spirituality, addiction, mental health and human interaction. It is also her first album to have a full “backing bound” sound, with Baker touching on the inspirations behind the “Hardline” and it’s video by noting: “I don’t know why I have the impulse to write songs or make tiny sculptures out of plane tickets. But here it is anyway: A bunch of things I’ve collected and carried with me that I’ve re-organized into a new shape” in the earlier press notes for the track. These ideas of re-shaping an experience into something more useful is a common thread for “Hardline” to bounce off, as the bass-led opening feels violent to a point, before the track feels more soothed when Baker’s vocals enter the fray. The lyrics are very plentiful, with long verses that frequently touch on questioning yourself and contemplating the trust you have for others. The most striking lyric, for me, is when Baker croons: “For all the future things I will destroy” under a light bed of electronics, before the arrival of a more restrained bridge, leading into “Til then I split the difference/Between medicine and poison” until the tempo increases and the crackling Synth melodies begin to monitor a sound reminiscent of a heart monitor in a hospital. “I can see where this is going, But I can’t find the brake” seems to be the cue point for the heavy instrumentals to become more aggressive, before we slowly build to the end where Baker sings “Took it farther/Draw a hardline/When I cross it/It’s the third time” as the softer and more acoustic guitar instrumentation trades places with the crying qualities of the synths. It becomes quite a stressful experience to listen to at times, with hard subject matter of intoxicating themes of alcohol complementing the avalanche nature of the drums and the rumbling of the Organ-like instrumentals. It never really feels like these elements are battling for control, however, as the lyrics feel expansive and internalized, and I think it’s good overall. This is really one of my first experiences with Baker, but I think she connects with modern LGBT culture in a way that feels authentic. Although it sounds very cliche to write, it is very powerful. The production feels expressive and unsullied by auto-tune. Maybe a bit intense for some, but there’s a chance it may really grow on me over time.

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Well, that’s the end of another week! “Scuzz Sunday” takes place in a mere 48 hours or so, but, before then, as hinted towards earlier in the post, we’re going to be taking a look at some brand new stuff from Maximo Park’s new album tomorrow. The Geordie Alternative Rock band were nominated for the Mercury Prize with their debut album, “A Certain Trigger”, in 2005. Since then, the now-trio have recorded six more albums – two of which have achieved Gold certified sales here in the UK. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/