Even though Jessica Pratt has left town for the City of Angels, “Back, Baby,” the first single from her upcoming album On Your Own Love Again, has San Francisco written all over it. There’s an overarching sense of heartbreak and loss here, but Pratt sneaks in all of these beautiful moments, and the effect is like walking the Richmond or the Sunset on the foggiest of mornings; like a chapter out of Gary Kamiya’s Cool Gray City of Love. Out of the mist comes these beautiful buildings, places of solitude and tranquility, everything awash in muted tones. It’s not quite clear what qualifies as a verse on “Back, Baby,” or even a chorus; it’s all memorable, each little moment stands alone. “Sometimes I pray for the rain,” Pratt sings in her sweet, slightly off-kilter voice, and then answers herself with some of the best “la la la’s” ever.
Gently, Pratt she leads us forward,stringing her melodies together. We go up and down hills, the fog rolls in and then rolls out. She plays with the pace of her vocal phrasing, she adds in little winks of color with a second guitar. And then at the end, she’s led us back to where where we began.
On Your Own Love Again is out January 27 on Drag City Records. Listen to “Back, Baby,” below.
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