Blemished Potency
Getting around Julien Baker's work was quite tough. Her lyricism is good at painting her struggles with substance abuse, depression and tying it together with religion. But the instrumentation and production on her first two albums didn't stop my tracks, and her vocals are quite a tough sell for me, where it feels like her delivery can oversell and flub at certain tracks across both albums.
Little Oblivions was in the right direction, but there are so many flaws that this feels like a stumbling point for her. I will say that her vocals are much better here, a bit more restrained which does fit more with the lyrics that are quite more graphic than past albums, and it does hit hard at spots.
But the production and instrumental tones put it off for me, everything is filled with reverb or any effects that make it excessively hazy and results in being washed out and muddy and makes the tones so blurry and lacking any sharpness with these effects splashed on.
Again, it's a step in the right direction, but this album stumbles with the production and instrumental tones just feeling too hazy for its own good, making Baker's content and vocals quite wasted with this approach. Some good songs here and there, but yeah, not that special.
Favorite Tracks: Hardline, Bloodshot Least Favorite Tracks: Crying Wolf, Highlight Reel