Julien Baker is only 20 years old, but the songs on “Sprained Ankle” sound like the stories of someone who has lived hundreds of lives before this one, which is to say: It’s an impossibly sad album. Fortunately, Baker’s heartache runs as deep as her faith, and that dichotomy is parsed over the course of these nine songs, all of which stand alone in their beauty but offer a sense of relief when bundled together. “Sprained Ankle” might make you melancholic, but it will also remind you of the lasting, saving power of music. It’s one that you will return to when you find yourself in crisis. It’s impossible to worry about the future when a 20-year-old college student effortlessly produced one of the best albums of the year. Well, even if it wasn’t effortless the stark effervescence of Sprained Ankle is as gripping as a single candle burning in the dark. Each song flickers, frisson and fear dance in shadows, but Baker herself never wavers. As perfect a debut as I’ve ever heard.
Recorded at Spacebomb Studios in Richmond, VA
Mastered at Bonati Mastering in Brooklyn, NY, these guitar notes that enter here just blew my mind. incredible vocal performance, and the restraint in the instrumentals / production is just perfect for this. amazing track.
