Julien Baker | photo by Jake Cunningham | courtesy of the artist
Julien Baker contemplates enormity of the universe in new song, “Distant Solar Systems”
Space and the universe and all that kind of freaks me out. So when I heard news about the NASA-discovered earth-like planets in the TRAPPIST-1 solar system, my reaction was a mix of total excitement and also ever-crippling fear and smallness.
In Julien Baker‘s new song, the beautiful and haunting “Distant Solar Systems,” she perfectly encapsulates this jumbled up feeling of wonder and awe and trepidation. In the song — the b-side to her new single “Funeral Pyre,” released via new label Matador Records – Baker’s minimal instrumentation and clear, emotional vocals layer to create an ethereal, soothing tone. Keeping with the title, the song matches large, atmospheric sounds that sweep a vast empty space, with a feeling of fragile vulnerability.
Be sure to catch Julien Baker’s melancholy ballads when she opens for The Decemberists at The Fillmore on April 14th. Find more info on tickets here, and listen to “Distant Solar Systems” below.