I'm a big fan of Julien Baker, though I actually like the trio, boygenius, that she formed with Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers. The one album they have is awesome, and shows the best of all of them as musicians. I'd have to save Lucy Dacus stood out to me the most on her own. I reviewed her album, Historian, here:
<a href="https://inquiringreader.org/texts/2020-06-04-historian/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://inquiringreader.org/texts/2020-06-04-historian/</a>
I like how Petrusich compared Baker to the National, which is probably my favorite band. I never really made that connection, but now I can really see the themes of "self-obliteration" and the mellow, but rock vibes. Also Petrusich's comment about Baker's themes was spot on:
The agonies of addiction are hardly new, but self-obliteration has never been a subject of greater obsession; somehow, America has managed to fetishize oblivion while also condemning it.
That analysis is spot on and I appreciate Petrusich for pointing it out. Looking forward to listening to this new album.

Petrusich reviews Julien Baker's music. She looks into her past as growing up in a devout Christian household, coming out as gay at seventeen, and struggling with substance abuse. She says that one of Baker's central themes, self-obliteration, "has never been a subject of greater obsession."