Julien Baker - Little Oblivions (February 26, 2021; Matador) Album • Page 13

Julien has not released a bad song ever IMHO.

 

It was her producer who posted that her album was done (that's not speculation, he confirmed it multiple times to me). She said in an interview last year that the album will be out this year, but with Covid-19 I'm not sure if things are being pushed back.

 

Rejoice will always be number one for me.

 

good opinion

 

Bored? Here’s a bracket. Note that Modern Leper was incorrectly typed as Modern Lover and I didn’t notice. Oops.

 

Appointments vs. Funeral Pyre in round one. That's brutal.

 

My final four was Something, Appointments, Sour Breath and Turn Out the Lights.
Final two was Something vs. Turn Out the Lights.
The winner......Something!

 

Final four for me was Hurt Less, Claws In Your Back, Rejoice, and Turn Out The Lights, down to Hurt Less and Turn Out The Lights for final two, and Hurt Less coming out on top. S̶o̶m̶e̶ All of those matchups were ROUGH though

 

I tried.

 

I’ve never really connected with Rejoice the way everyone else here seems to

 

Same, it’s good but it’s never been one of my favorites

 

Rejoice is top 10 for me, idk about top 5

 

Semi Finals:

"Hurt Less"
"Even"
"Rejoice"(?) (pitting it against "Sour Breath" so quickly is mean, could go either way)
"Turn Out the Lights"

Finals:

"Hurt Less"
"Turn Out the Lights"

Winner:

"Turn Out the Lights"

 

I can't do that bracket without listening to every one of these songs and I don't have the mental capacity to do that while quarantined at home

 

I ended up with Appointments as my #1. Not sure that’s accurate but it IS the first song that I heard from her that really hit me and got me into her music. So I’ll take it

 

it’s gonna be Distant Solar Systems v Rejoice for me, and I can’t choose.

 

I'm glad others have said this. I love all her songs but it's probably my least favourite. My wife outright doesn't like it as well which makes me laugh.

Appointments is my favourite song.

 

Rejoice always felt like the thesis statement of Sprained Ankle to me. It's the emotional climax of the album. To that point in the track list, she's been more observant or resigned to all of these tumultuous things in her life. But Rejoice serves as the cathartic moment of declaration, a turning point in which she accepts these and decides to live on her terms anyway. It even happens within the song itself, when the first chorus lulls you into thinking this is a quiet, almost sheepish confession, until of course she explodes in desperation towards the end of the song. But I think what really brings it all home is how quickly it ends-- the guitar sounds like it's spiraling and crashing down; her voice almost cuts off, like someone walked in on her and she's embarrassed. I mean maybe that's just me, but the end of the song always felt like there's still this hesitation and fear in what she just said, like this realization was all for naught and it's too late for her.

I understand everyone has different opinions and whatnot. But to not recognize Rejoice as this insanely powerful song, even just in the context of Julien's own discography, is mind-blowing to me, haha.

 

"Rejoice" is a tricky song for me to engage because it speaks so overtly about the experience of addiction, something I've never known, which makes me feel... I don't know that "guilty" is the right word, but I feel weird about saying I relate to it, y'know?

But, at the same time, outside of the addiction part, there's a religious thread that I related very deeply to. "I rejoice & complain" is one of my favorite descriptions of a relationship w/ God in literally any song ever. "Why did you let them leave & then make me stay?" is a fantastic line, too. Really, that whole ending is great. "Lift my voice that I was made"? So good.

 

I’ve always loved how after Rejoice there’s a lot of resolution. Vessel feels like the song with the most emotional and spiritual clarity on the record. Then Go Home is probably the most devastating, but ends with that hopeful instrumental of “In Christ Alone”.

When I listen to that record, by the end it feels like it’s saying, “No, it’s not okay. But it will be.”

 

Good News vs Even first round? What are you doing to me.

 

I’ve mentioned this before, but I was raised Catholic and subsequently struggled with my sexuality growing up. I had basically renounced religion for much of my adolescence as I didn’t have anyone showing me that you can be openly queer and of faith. I found Julien and heard Rejoice and it was like an entirely new world opened up for me. That song truly changed my life.

 

Rejoice - Vessels - Go Home is a nearly unbeatable run for me. Although Hurt Less - Even - Claws is also insane.

 

Julien Baker knows how to end an album.