Julien Baker & TORRES showcase a unique potency on Send A Prayer My Way

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.