Writing about depression is hard. More often than not, it mens writing about the absence of feeling, leaving a writer with few if any of the usually-essential senses to bounce off of. That's one of the reasons that Julien Baker's "Appointments," the first single from her forthcoming Turn Out the Lights LP, is so absorbing. It's a vivid and detailed account of a person's inability to see any sort of emotional redemption, or the ability to actually feel anything at all.The album's title track came out this morning and it follows a similar sonic path: simple, plucked electric chords, gentle melodies, and an exorcizing burst at the end when the guitars build up and Baker's vocals kick up an octave. Lyrically, though, it's more of a real-time interpretation of a spiralling thought-process. It's less linear than "Appointments," but no less affecting for it. "So why is it easy for everyone else?" Baker asks before moving straight on: " I'm not always like this / There's always tomorrow i guess." And that big, cathartic burst at the end actually does reach some kind of resolution. "When I turn out the lights / There's no one left / Between myself and me." It's a short term fix, but it's something more than meds.Watch the video for the song above. It's directed by Sophia Peer, who also took on the "Appointments" video.Follow Alex Robert Ross on Twitter.
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