Little Oblivions by Julien Baker

I’ve done a great disservice to the artist here at #6. Little Oblivions is the third album by singer/songwriter Julien Baker, yet it’s the first of her’s to appear on the Top 31. I’ve enjoyed her previous album, 2017’s Turn Out the Lights, but it came out mere days before I put together my list for 2017, and so it consequently missed inclusion. And don’t even ask about her debut, 2015’s Sprained Ankle.

I’ve mentioned Baker a couple times in other reviews, as she’s quite chummy with Lucy Dacus (#23 this year) and Phoebe Bridgers (#3 last year). The three of them teamed up as boygenius on an ep back in 2018, and left us begging for more. If you’re a fan of any of those three, you’re a fan of all three. But each has their own voice and spin on where they take the role of “honest and fucked up.”

Of the three, Baker’s voice is strongest. Where Bridgers is delicate, and Dacus is smooth, Baker is wrought. Self-doubt, suicidal tendencies, and alcoholism are common refrains in Baker’s songs, all dripping with the raw emotion that proves she’s lived every bit of it. And there’s so much power behind it all, too. Baker can (and often does) take a song from a quiet, intimate moment to a literal screaming-at-the-top-of-your-lungs crescendo, you’ll find yourself losing your voice singing along on the way to the grocery store.

Little Oblivions is much more rock band-oriented than her two previous albums. There’s a sparseness to her earlier work that has been shed for a more traditional guitar/bass/keyboard/drums setup, all performed by Baker. Baker plays nearly all the instruments on her albums - just like Prince. Baker, 26, has established herself as a true musical force in her 10+ years as a recording artist. She hasn’t hit Billie Eilish levels of popularity, but there’s a sincerity to her music that Eilish lacks, along with a distinct, pleasing absence of pop hooks. In addition to the fantastic song “Faith Healer,” shown in the video above, check out the awesome stop-motion animated video for “Hardline” as well.

Do yourself a favor and get aboard the Julien Baker train. We’ve already left the station, but if you start now you can catch up to us by the next station. All aboard!

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7. Valentine by Snail Mail
8. sketchy. by tUnE-yArDs
9. A Very Lonely Solstice by Fleet Foxes
10. Hey What by Low
11. Local Valley by José González
12. Head of Roses by Flock of Dimes
13. The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows by Damon Albarn
14. Collapsed in Sunbeams by Arlo Parks
15. Loving In Stereo by Jungle
16. Flying Dream 1 by Elbow
17. Screen Violence by Chvrches
18. Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
19. Mainly Gestalt Pornography by Pearly Gate Music
20. Peace Or Love by Kings of Convenience
21. These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

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When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish

From one young pop phenom at #13 to an even younger, even more popular phenom at #12, Billie Eilish and her stellar debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? I’m completely lost at where to start in this review, as there’s so much to say. Eilish, at only 18 as of this writing, has been releasing extremely-popular music since she was 14. “Ocean Eyes,” the song she released in 2016, has been played on YouTube 200 million times. Since then, Eilish, with her 22-year-old brother Finneas as producer, has been releasing hit after hit.

Her debut album, here at #12, is chockablock with ear worms. Falling on the indie-goth side of the pop spectrum, Eilish’s songs demonstrate a level of maturity and depth that even some 30-something artists can’t evoke. Her lyrics are full of metaphor and innuendo, painting the picture of someone who’s already lived a full life. Then you remember they’re the words of a (when written) 14, 15, or 16-year old home-schooled girl put to music she and her 18, 19, or 20-year old brother cooked up in Pro Tools in their small bedroom-based studios.

The amazing songs are only part of the equation. Even more outstanding is her command of the promotion and consumption of her music. For starters, look at the YouTube output for the songs on this album:

“lovely” with R&B artist Khalid, directed by Taylor Cohen and Matty Peacock
“you should see me in a crown” in both a Takeshi Murakami-directed animated version and a live-action vertical video version, directed by Eilish, that has her covered in live spiders
“when the party’s over” (shown above), a crazy-amazing song with a crazy-amazing video directed by Carlos López Estrada, who also directed Father John Misty’s fantastic video for “Mr. Tillman,” featured at #26 last year. Be sure to watch the behind-the-scenes from the Eilish video, too.
“bury a friend” which was directed by Michael Chaves
“bad guy” in both normal version, directed by Dave Meyers, in which she can be seen rolling around in a Takeshi Murakami smiley-flower outfit, and vertical version that shows the outtakes of the normal version
“all the good girls go to hell,” directed by Rich Lee, which starts with a clip also shown in “bury a friend” above and takes it in a completely different direction
and finally, “xanny,” directed by Eilish herself

That’s ten separate independently-produced videos for 50% of the songs on the album. As I put together this list, I’m often hard-pressed to find more than one, maybe two, videos per album. Outside of the music videos, Eilish has had long-standing relationship with Apple Music (culminating in a lovely long-form holiday commercial from last year). On top of that, Eilish has famously done an interview with Vanity Faire magazine three times, each a year apart, answering the same questions and reminiscing about where she’s come from and where she’s going. That is huge foresight by VF.

If you’ve only heard Eilish’s name, you must hear the music. Set aside all your preconceptions and just listen. You will not be disappointed.

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13. Cheap Queen by King Princess
14. Anima by Thom Yorke
15. Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Parts 1 + 2 by Foals
16. Gallipoli by Beirut
17. My Finest Work Yet by Andrew Bird
18. Four of Arrows by Great Grandpa
19. Designer by Aldous Harding
20. Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey
21. Our Pathetic Age by DJ Shadow
22. Juice B Crypts by Battles
23. Pony by Orville Peck
24. Hyperspace by Beck
25. Eraserland by Strand of Oaks
26. Dogrel by Fontaines DC
27. You’re the Man by Marvin Gaye
28. Big Wows by Stealing Sheep
29. 1000 gecs by 100 gecs
30. In the Morse Code of Brake Lights by The New Pornographers
31. Radiant Dawn by Operators

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2009-2018 Top 31s

#6 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Julien Baker

#12 on the 2019 Bacon Top 31 — Billie Eilish