Whether it be Beyoncé, Post Malone, Lana Del Rey or even Ringo Starr, it’s become such a common occurrence now that the announcement of venturing into aforesaid territory can often be met with a sly roll of the eyes. Sometimes it whiffs of a lazy cash-in – especially in the U.S. where country is arguably more popular and in vogue than ever – but in other cases, the change in direction is earnt, and it works incredibly well. Thankfully, Julien Baker and Mackenzie Scott’s (AKA TORRES) collaborative debut, Send A Prayer My Way, can safely be filed under the latter. As a pair, they display a unique potency, producing a splendid showcase for their tender, immaculate songwriting.
The country inflections are undeniable but subtler than most artist’s foray into the genre, instead feeling like a natural, logical extension to Baker and Scott’s recent output. The heady rush of single “Sugar In The Tank” is a joyous highlight tinged with a longing and sadness, and answers the all-important question: What would Boygenius sound like if they all donned Stetsons and rode off into the sunset together? Baker’s brittle vocals, meanwhile, have never sounded more affecting and coalesce wonderfully with Scott’s when she enters for its stirring chorus: “I love you swimmin' upstream in a flashflood wonderin' / When I’m gonna drown / Picking up steam on the off ramp getting the hell out of downtown / Let you be the chain that keeps me closer to the ground.”
“Tape Runs Out” incorporates a noticeably darker tonal
palette, culminating in a haunting cacophony of howling instrumentation,
spiralling out of control like a helpless object hurtling towards the
event horizon. Opener “Dirt” exudes understated desperation and there’s
something heartbreakingly bleak in its frankness, with little else but
spare, fingerpicked guitar notes, soulful lines of fiddle and muted keys
for accompaniment. Again, the duo’s evocative lyricism shines, engraved
with nuanced detail: “You were shouting through the screen door / With
my back turned towards you in the driveway / I said ‘what the hell you
gotta scream at me for’ / You said ‘you aren’t gonna listen any other
way.’” Such specificity creates a sense of tangibleness, regularly
lacking in pop music.
Scott takes the reins on “Tuesday” and her rich, velvet
vocals – sang in a lower register than Baker’s – suit the mood
perfectly. A leisurely chord progression is undercut with a narrative
that, sadly, will likely be all too familiar to many LGBTQ people, as
Scott details a former love from her youth and the religious mother’s
resulting disapproval. In fact, the mere thought of her daughter with
another woman makes “her sick over the toilet.” The only solution to the
scenario is one of reluctant suppression: “Asked me to write her mother
and say sorry for the confusion / That of course there’d been no sin /
And to emphasize how much I loved Jesus and men.” While there’s a
satisfaction to the eventual, exorcising resolution, it’s Scott’s
deliciously blunt and humourful kiss-off line that lingers memorably:
“And one more thing, if you hear this song / Tell your mama she can go
suck an egg.”
It’s clear that both Scott and Baker share a deep
appreciation for the genre, and it shows throughout. This isn’t a wild
left turn à la Cowboy Carter but then, not many country albums are, and that’s ok. On Send A Prayer My Way they
apply tasteful country renovations and marry humour, melancholy and joy
with timely themes in a way that will only delight fans of either
artist. The result is as brilliant a record you could hope for from two
of the current generation’s finest songwriters.
