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Little Oblivions

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Little Oblivions
Studio album by
Julien Baker
ReleasedFebruary 26, 2021 (2021-02-26)
RecordedDecember 2019–January 2020[1]
StudioYoung Avenue Sound / Trace Horse Studio
Genre
Length42:39
LabelMatador
ProducerJulien Baker
Julien Baker chronology
Boygenius
(2018) 		Little Oblivions
(2021) 		The Record
(2023)
Singles from Little Oblivions
  1. "Faith Healer"
    Released: October 21, 2020
  2. "Hardline"
    Released: January 13, 2021
  3. "Favor"
    Released: February 3, 2021
  4. "Heatwave"
    Released: February 24, 2021

Little Oblivions is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Julien Baker, released on February 26, 2021.[5] Alongside the album's announcement, Baker released "Faith Healer" as the first single from the album.[6] Little Oblivions is a departure from the acoustic alt folk of her first two albums. It features a full band sound, played almost entirely by Baker herself, with genres encompassing indie rock, alternative rock, emo, soft rock, electronic music, pop punk, post-rock, country, shoegaze, and slowcore.[7][8][9][10][11] The album received acclaim from critics.[12]

Background

[edit]

On April 8, 2020, Baker performed the song "Mercy," titled "Song in E" on the album, in a livestream on Instagram Live.[13] This was the first widely publicized performance of "Song in E," which Baker had played at shows in August 2018[14] and again in mid-2019,[15] along with an early version of "Ringside,"[16] another track that would appear on Little Oblivions.

The first single off of Little Oblivions, "Faith Healer," was released on October 21, 2020. In lieu of a traditional bio, the album announcement came with an essay written by Hanif Abdurraqib:[17]

Little Oblivions is an album that […] doesn’t offer repair, or forgiveness. Sometimes, though, a chance to revel in the life that is never guaranteed. Yes, the life that grows and grows and is never promised. How lucky to still be living, even in our own mess.

The grand project of Julien Baker, as I have always projected it onto myself, is the central question of what someone does with the many calamities of a life they didn’t ask for, but want to make the most out of. I have long been done with the idea of hope in such a brutal and unforgiving world, but I’d like to think that this music drags me closer to the old idea I once clung to. But these are songs of survival, and songs of reimagining a better self, and what is that if not hope? Hope that on the other side of our wreckage — self-fashioned or otherwise — there might be a door. And through the opening of that door, a tree spilling its shade over something we love. A bench and upon it, a jacket that once belonged to someone we’d buried. Birds who ask us to be an audience to their singing. A small and generous corner of the earth that has not yet burned down or disappeared. I can be convinced of this kind of hope, even as I fight against it. To hear someone wrestling with and still thankful for the circumstances of a life that might reveal some brilliance if any of us just stick around long enough.

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.0/10[18]
Metacritic84/100[12]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[19]
The A.V. ClubA[20]
Clash9/10[9]
DIY[7]
Exclaim!9/10[21]
The Line of Best Fit7/10[22]
NME[8]
Paste9.2/10[2]
Pitchfork7.6/10[23]
Rolling Stone[24]

Little Oblivions was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the release received an average score of 84, based on 22 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[25] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave the album an 8.0 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[18]

Adam Feibel of Exclaim! said "After two critically lauded albums of raw, powerful alt-folk — as well as a rapturously received collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus as boygenius — Memphis-based singer-songwriter Julien Baker has burst forth with a third effort that's so fully formed and viscerally human, it might as well have its own pulse."[21] Tatiana Tenreyro of The A.V. Club said "In many ways, Little Oblivions is a re-introduction to Baker’s music. Both of her previous records focused on a soft, minimalist sound that highlighted Baker’s powerful voice and words. It’s the kind of music that is best listened to alone."[20] DIY writer Ben Tipple said that the album sees Baker "accompanied by an expanse of instrumentation previously absent from her sound, and drums drive Little Oblivions forward with a disarming urgency. At times, the hushed subtlety of the two previous records is all-but forgotten, not least as ‘Ringside’ leans on heavy reverb and ‘Repeat’ turns to electronic pulses and distorted vocals. It’s new territory for Julien, but one she traverses with ease, complementing her more overt tales of faith, inebriation and inter-personal relationships"[7] Despite this, as Marcy Donelson of AllMusic puts it, "Despite the bigger sound on average, however, Baker's brutal lyrical authenticity remains the main attraction."[26] Callum Foulds of The Line of Best Fit highly praised the album, saying "Rarely does an artist so eagerly present themselves in relentlessly un-pretty circumstances, that it makes listening equally as uncomfortable and as it is captivating. Julien Baker has delivered music so full of emotional clarity that it seems a miracle that she survived its creation."[22] John Amen of Slant gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, writing: "Little Oblivions represents a significant step for one of contemporary music’s most eloquent artists."[27]

Accolades

[edit]
Little Oblivions on year-end lists
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Consequence of Sound Top 50 Albums of 2021
15
[28]
Exclaim! 50 Best Albums of 2021
13
[29]
God Is in the TV Albums of 2021
13
[30]
The Line of Best Fit The Best Albums of 2021
13
[31]
The New York Times Jon Pareles' Best Albums of 2021
6
[32]
The New Yorker The Best Music of 2021
3
[33]
Slate The 10 Best Albums of the Year —
[34]
Sputnikmusic Top 50 Albums of 2021
9
[35]
Under the Radar Top 100 Albums of 2021
14
[36]
Uproxx The Best Albums Of 2021 —
[37]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Julien Baker

Little Oblivions track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Hardline"3:51
2."Heatwave"2:44
3."Faith Healer"2:54
4."Relative Fiction"4:19
5."Crying Wolf"3:29
6."Bloodshot"3:47
7."Ringside"4:00
8."Favor"4:38
9."Song in E"2:44
10."Repeat"2:55
11."Highlight Reel"3:36
12."Ziptie"3:42
Total length:42:39
Japanese edition bonus track[38]
No.TitleLength
13."Guthrie" 

Personnel

[edit]

Sources[39]

Musicians

Production

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Little Oblivions
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[40] 21
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[41] 71
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[42] 37
Irish Albums (IRMA)[43] 74
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[44] 68
UK Albums (OCC)[45] 51
US Billboard 200[46] 39
US Folk Albums (Billboard)[47] 1
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[48] 6
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[49] 5
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[50] 4

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Kenneally, Cerys (January 13, 2020). "Julien Baker previews new album with second single "Hardline"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Edelstone, Steven (February 25, 2021). "On Little Oblivions, Julien Baker Expands Her Sound and Soars". Paste. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  3. ^ Amen, John (February 16, 2021). "Review: On Little Oblivions, Julien Baker's Stark Confessionals Are Given a Hard Edge". Slant. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  4. ^ French-Morris, Katie (February 22, 2021). "Julien Baker – 'Little Oblivions' review: relentless catharsis and a reason to believe". The Forty-Five. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  5. ^ Minsker, Evan (21 October 2020). "Julien Baker Announces New Album Little Oblivions, Shares New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  6. ^ Curto, Justin (21 October 2020). "Julien Baker Remains Devastating on New Song 'Faith Healer'". Vulture. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  7. ^ a b c Tipple, Ben (February 26, 2021). "Julien Baker - Little Oblivions". DIY. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  8. ^ a b Richards, Will (February 24, 2021). "Julien Baker – 'Little Oblivions' review: songwriting with stunning emotional clarity". NME. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Neale, Matthew (February 22, 2021). "Julien Baker - Little Oblivions". Clash. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  10. ^ Inglis, Tony. "Julien Baker – Little Oblivions". Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  11. ^ Horton, Ross (February 26, 2021). "Julien Baker – Little Oblivions". MusicOMH. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  12. ^ a b "Reviews and Tracks for Little Oblivions by Julien Baker". Metacritic. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  13. ^ Grech, Aaron (April 8, 2020). "Julien Baker Covers Big Star and Debuts a New Song "Mercy" on Isol-Aid Live Stream". mxdwn.com. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  14. ^ "Julien Baker - "Song in E" aka "Mercy"New Song 2018 (4k) 8/1/18 Prescott Park Arts Festival, NH". YouTube.
  15. ^ "Julien Baker - Song in e (AKA Mercy) (Live in London)". YouTube.
  16. ^ "Julien Baker - Ringside (Live in London)". YouTube.
  17. ^ "Julien Baker - "Faith Healer"". 21 October 2020.
  18. ^ a b "Little Oblivions by Julien Baker". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  19. ^ Donelson, Marcy. "Little Oblivions – Julien Baker". AllMusic. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  20. ^ a b Tenreyro, Tatiana (February 26, 2021). "Julien Baker's Little Oblivions is her most vulnerable record yet—and her best". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  21. ^ a b Feibel, Adam (February 22, 2021). "Julien Baker Goes Electric — in the Best Way — on 'Little Oblivions'". Exclaim!. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  22. ^ a b Foulds, Callum (February 23, 2021). "Julien Baker poses questions and discovers epiphanies on the bleakly robust Little Oblivions". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  23. ^ Hogan, Marc (February 26, 2021). "Julien Baker - Little Oblivions". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  24. ^ Martoccio, Angie (February 23, 2021). "Julien Baker Dispenses Hard Truths and Displays Her Enormous Talent on 'Little Oblivions'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  25. ^ "Reviews for Petals for Armor by Hayley Williams". Metacritic. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  26. ^ Collar, Matt. "Petals for Armor – Hayley Williams". AllMusic. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  27. ^ Amen, John (17 February 2021). "Review: On Little Oblivions, Julien Baker's Stark Confessionals Are Given a Hard Edge". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  28. ^ "Top 50 Albums of 2021". Consequence of Sound. December 7, 2021.
  29. ^ "50 Best Albums of 2021". Exclaim!. December 1, 2021.
  30. ^ "Albums of 2021". God Is in the TV. December 8, 2021.
  31. ^ "The Best Albums of 2021". The Line of Best Fit. December 13, 2021.
  32. ^ Pareles, Jon; Caramanica, Jon; Zoladz, Lindsay (December 2, 2021). "Best Albums of 2021". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  33. ^ Petrusich, Amanda (November 26, 2021). "The Best Music of 2021". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  34. ^ "The Music Club 2021". Slate. December 21, 2021.
  35. ^ Spencer, Trey (December 20, 2021). "Best Albums of 2021". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on March 10, 2024.
  36. ^ "Top 100 Albums of 2021". Under the Radar. January 7, 2022.
  37. ^ "The Best Albums Of 2021". Uproxx. November 29, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  38. ^ "BEATINK.COM Little Oblivions". Beatink.com. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  39. ^ Graves, Wren (October 21, 2020). "Julien Baker Announces New Album Little Oblivions, Shares "Faith Healer": Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  40. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. March 8, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  41. ^ "Ultratop.be – Julien Baker – Little Oblivions" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  42. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Julien Baker – Little Oblivions" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  43. ^ "Irish Albums Chart: 5 March 2021". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  44. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Julien Baker – Little Oblivions". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  45. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  46. ^ "Julien Baker Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  47. ^ "Julien Baker Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  48. ^ "Julien Baker Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  49. ^ "Julien Baker Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  50. ^ "Julien Baker Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
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