8/10

It is fair to say that Julien Baker has come a long way since the release of her breakthrough debut album 'Sprained Ankle' in 2015. Releasing that collection when she was barely out of her teenage years, it felt like a true coming-of-age tale of someone looking to find their path in a creative space. And since then, she has grown from a cult icon to one of the most watched artists working today. So with a few years away from her solo work, she now returns with her third LP 'Little Oblivions', a record that looks to fully establish herself within the vibrant scene she has been such a crucial part of.

In recent years, Julian Baker has been better known for her collaborative work with Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus on their boygenius project, not less because the world seems to stop any time Bridgers plays a chord. But rather than live in the shadows of her contemporaries, Baker has this incredibly intrinsic style to her work. Always inventive and adventurous within her direction, 'Little Oblivions' feels like a personal slice of self-discovery for her. Listening to her try and develop new things throughout this release gives us the feeling that we are right along there with her, yearning to find out what she would do to the next song on the tracklist.

From the start, Julien Baker has never been one to take the path laid out for her, and 'Little Oblivions' seems like the best example of that so far. While her songwriting doesn't look to break any new ground, the subtle beauty of it is something uniquely her and this new collection gives us a rich and textured array of offerings that never cease to amaze throughout.