HomeJulien BakerSprained Ankle
Sprained Ankle
Rock · 2015 · 9 tracks · 33m

Sprained Ankle

A devastatingly intimate debut of sparse, reverb-soaked electric guitar and raw, unshielded vocals exploring faith, addiction, and loneliness.

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Debut

A creaking, tape-hissed solitude defines this self-released debut, where a single voice and a heavily reverberated instrument carve out a vast, claustrophobic space. Recorded with a stark minimalism that captures every sharp intake of breath, these nine tracks confront trauma, faith, and addiction without the buffer of a full band. The resulting songs feel less like public performances and more like unshielded late-night transmissions captured in an empty room.

Sprained Ankle · vs · Julien Baker
Sparse Bare+2.1σ

By stripping away the full-band arrangements of her peers, the record leans into a sparse bare aesthetic where a lone, echoing guitar and vast silence become the primary instruments.

Tracklist · 9 Tracks · 33m
01
Blacktop
4:44
02
Sprained Ankle
2:22
03
Brittle Boned
3:37
04
Everybody Does
2:26
05
Good News
3:31
06
Something
3:53
07
Rejoice
3:34
08
Vessels
4:26
09
Go Home
5:05
Moments Worth Waiting For
07RejoiceThe vocal delivery on 'Rejoice' transitions from a quiet, conversational murmur into a raw, throat-straining shout that pushes the microphone into natural distortion.
06SomethingA sparse, echoing loop of guitar harmonics on 'Something' provides the sole rhythmic anchor for a narrative of quiet abandonment.
09Go HomeThe album closes on 'Go Home' with a sudden shift to a lonely piano, ending with the sound of a radio dial drifting into static.
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Reviews
Critic Consensus

Critics were widely enthusiastic, and the album drew broad acclaim.

Consequence of SoundB
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Stereogum
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Clash9/ 10
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Arizona Daily SunA+
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The Line of Best Fit
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AllMusic4/ 5 stars
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rabbitroom.com
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Exclaim!9/ 10
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Pitchfork7.0/ 10
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punknews.org
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Drowned in Sound8/ 10
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