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Julien Baker
Photo: Robin Little / Redferns
Album of the week:
Julien Baker - "Little Oblivions"
Even if it sounds like she is playing with a full band, Julien Baker is pretty much alone: on the third solo album by the 25-year-old US songwriter, you can hear drums, synthesizers and even the banjo for the first time, not just piano and Guitar like on her previous solo records - but Baker recorded almost everything himself, including intentional incompetence and incompetence
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Cover of the album "Little Oblivions" by Julien Baker
The result is an amazingly full, well-formulated sound into which the musician can let herself fall like a protective cloud of sound.
She needs them more than ever, because what she negotiates in the songs on "Little Oblivions" is probably one of the most vulnerable phases in her life so far.
At the end of 2018, she had just become a celebrated star of the indie rock scene with the soul-digging ballads of her first two albums (including "Turn Out The Lights") and had released a highly regarded EP as boygenius with her colleagues Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus she relapsed into her alcohol addiction, which she believed to have been overcome for years.
At the beginning of 2019, she sat with the other ex-drinkers Steven Tyler and Jason Isbell in a "GQ" interview and told them about their journey from the punk of their former band Forrister to seven years of sobering up the straight edge scene in Nashville.
Andreas Borcholte's playlist
Photo:
Christian O. Bruch / laif
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis: Hand Of God
Arab Strap: Compersion, Pt.
1
Maxïmo Park: Baby Sleep
Julien Baker: Heatwave
Pain: Believer
Alan Vega: Nike Soldier
Liz: Liz Izzez
Matthew E. White & Lonnie Holley: I'm Not Tripping / Composition 8
Sofia Kourtesis: By Your Side
Serpentwithfeet: Same Size Shoe
Go to Spotify playlist Right arrow Go to Apple Music playlist Right arrow
But then she already knew that she had fallen "off the wagon" and felt bad.
In a reset attempt, she canceled everything to go back to college to get her English degree.
But of course she did not let go of the turning point in her biography while studying literature, philosophy and theology; her real life did not fit the novel-like narrative of salvation that had arisen around her public figure.
So Baker delved deep into her addiction history and researched an obsessive-compulsive disorder that tortured her to dissect every slightest mistake, every moral failure - fatal for a girl from Memphis who grew up in a deeply religious family, an eternal journey to hell through soul pain and fear of God Punishment that led straight to excessive numbing.
So your new songs are about the confrontation with addictions and self-deception, with the everyday "little insensations" that the album title names.
The singer from Tennessee has long been considered fearless in dealing artistically with her psychological and emotional torments, here she becomes a little more direct: "Blacked out on a weekday / Is there something I try to avoid?" She sings at the beginning of the opening piece "Hardline" over a distorted church organ, then immediately to ask for forgiveness for all future missteps.
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Little oblivions
Julien Baker
Label: BB (MATADOR)
Label: BB (MATADOR)
approx. € 13.99
Price query time
02/26/2021 5:55 p.m.
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The songs tell of a deceptive "Faith Healer" and of bloodshot eyes ("Bloodhot"), they play in seedy taverns or when visiting families who are alienated ("Heatwave").
The more unstable Baker's protagonist appears in the lyrics, the more the rock music, which is basically almost classic, but noisy through numerous filters, supports her back.
In real life, Baker is now comforted by the mixed breed dog Beans, whom she brought to her from an animal shelter.
But you definitely ask yourself whether he or she saved him, she said in an interview.
For now this great, emotional Americana songwriter has found moments of greatest self-acceptance and clarity with herself in the orchestra.
Pain therapy can hardly sound more beautiful, but neither can it be sadder
.
(8.5)
Listened briefly:
Maxïmo Park - "Nature Always Wins"
Most recently, Maxïmo Park from Newcastle tried its hand as a political electro punk band.
But of course: nature always wins.
This also applies to the life of singer and songwriter Paul Smith, who now sings about his little daughter's sleep rhythm instead of about British classism.
Reminds of the equally privatistic and melodically warm hit album "Our Earthly Pleasures" from 2007. Fair enough.
(6.9)
Robin Schulz - »IIII«
Perhaps Robin Schulz was best when he asked in 2014: »Do you want to take drugs with me?« Today, three »Diamant« hit singles (including »Sugar«), one world fame and around 60 sunglasses later, one has to state: Germany Supermega-DJ makes it all too comfortable in - almost - always the same ringtone house with pseudo-emotional singing features.
It hurts!
New range of drugs, please.
(2.0)
Smerz - "Believer"
Lascivious R&B vocals to cold electro, horror film violins to the most intimate love whispers, chamber pop and techno noise: the young Norwegians Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt alias Smerz find the sublime beauty of their music in the emotional and acoustic ordeal.
The fearlessly experimental tracks on debut albums are about self-assertion in deepest doubt.
Magical.
(8.2)
Bonnie Tyler - "The Best Is Yet To Come"
What is better to come?
At the latest with “Stuck To My Guns”, the fourth song of this brave new Bonnie Tyler album, you are disarmed: Genghis Khan, Meat Loaf, Bon Jovi, pan flute, everything is included!
The cover painted in pastel?
Stroke of genius in nostalgia pop art!
The voice of the blond force from Wales, who will be 70 in June, is no longer roaring quite as powerfully.
It's a heartache.
(without rating)