Julien Baker and Torres Expand Their Horizons on “Send A Prayer My Way”
Julien Baker and Torres, “Send A Prayer My Way”
Country music is having a bit of a moment right now, and Julien Baker and Torres didn’t exactly set out to be part of that moment. Raised in Tennessee and Georgia respectively, the subtle influence of the genre can be heard across their solo efforts, but their new joint record “Send A Prayer My Way” is explicitly and unapologetically a country album.
Setting out on this journey together, Baker and Torres found themselves asking “what even is country music anyway?” It’s a highly gatekept genre (see: the ridiculous backlash to Beyonce winning the Grammy for best country record this past winter) and certainly not something commonly associated with openly queer artists. The irony of the timing of the release isn’t lost on them. The idea for the record was conceived in lockdown, and it’s only by chance that it’s release coincides with a pop culture moment larger than themselves.
Torres (left) and Baker (right) via Instagram
But the fundamentals of country music were easily translatable for the indie rockers who are already familiar with soul-baring lyrics and musical storytelling. These may be the most notable hallmarks of the genre and both present aplenty across Send A Prayer My Way. The single “Tuesday” tells a narrative of a secret love affair dashed by prying parents, ending with Torres offering her ex-lover’s mom a cheeky kiss-off (“suck an egg”). Album opener “Dirt” finds the pair lamenting over hard times and difficult relationships while tracks like “Bottom of the Bottle” and “Tape runs Out” explore the heavy topic of substance abuse.
There are lighter, campier tracks. The endearing “The Only Marble I’ve Got Left” is a promise of unending love through all of life’s weirdness (“the longer I live, the stranger I get”). Album closer “Goodbye Baby” opens with Torres attempting a joke that Baker quickly botches with her awkward deadpan before the two launch into a delicate, twangy harmony. The strongest entry on the record is easily the lead single “Sugar in the Tank,” a tender yet exciting love song ready-made for line dancing - so much so, in fact, that the visualizer features a routine from queer line dancing troupe Stud Country.
All of this is classic cowboy content and Baker and Torres pull it off with ease. Simultaneously a new sound for the pair and familiar enough for fans to follow, even if the landscape looks a bit different. The tracks led by Baker (namely “Dirt” and “Showdown”) are nearly indistinguishable from her solo content, while Torres feels more removed from her usual brand of alt-pop. It’s enough to make the album a refreshing entry in both of their respective catalogues.
Most prominently, Baker and Torres’ reverence and respect for the genre is palpable on Send A Prayer My Way. This is no parody of country music, nor is it even really just an homage. It’s a genuine effort, a personal homecoming to the music that surrounded and raised them - a real, honest to god Country Record.
