Two of folky indie rock’s finest singer/songwriters come together for an entry into the queer country canon.
Before everyone started going country, before Chappell Roan had a hit with a lesbian country song, and even before boygenius formed, the seeds were sown for Julien Baker and Torres’ queer country album “Send a Prayer My Way“. After they played their first show together back in 2016, one said to the other, “We should make a country album.”
So you certainly can’t call them bandwagon jumpers and it should also come as no surprise that making full-blown country music comes as naturally to this pair as it does. Julien grew up in Memphis and Torres moved to Nashville after graduating high school, and their music always had a little twang that really comes to the forefront on “Send a Prayer My Way“. They’ve got pedal steel, fiddle, and honky tonk rhythms, and their country roots are also apparent in the album’s subject matter, which explores Julien and Torres’ shared Southern Baptist heritage as queer people and the skeletons buried there.
Both artists are known for vulnerable lyricism, and they bring that to this collaboration, delving into addiction and shame while also seasoning it with dark humor–like “Tuesday”‘s segue from a dark night of the soul to “if you ever hear this song, tell your mama she can go suck an egg,” or the skit about the viscousness of jelly before “Goodbye Baby.” And even if you’re a Julien Baker or Torres fan that hasn’t fully jumped on the country train, there’s plenty to like about “Send a Prayer My Way”. It often balances out its twang with the kind of folky indie rock that Julien and Torres both separately won us over with in the previous decade. It’s easy to see why they wanted to work together after sharing the stage for the very first time; they’re kindred spirits.
The Fat Angel Sings 