Turn Out The Lights 2017 Album

Julien Baker

Well, this is not what I expected. It's less Hipster-ish and more Lilith Fair/NPR-ish. That's not necessarily a bad thing. But if you're going to travel down that well-trodden road, it would be nice to bring something fresh to it. Baker doesn't. Stylistically, the artist Baker most reminds me of is Patty Griffin. But to make that comparison is to reveal Baker's several shortcomings. Where Griffin's best songs offer the mature insights of a woman who's seen her share of hard knocks in life, Baker's sound like the shallow wailing of a melodramatic teenager. As a vocalist, she lacks Griffin's lung power. And where Griffin's albums offer a mix of varying moods and tempos, the relentless saminess of Baker's songs becomes tiring over the course of a full album. Baker is not without talent, and has the potential to become a relevant artist eventually. But it will probably take her a few years of growth and better self-awareness to get there.