Stranger in the Alps

Like the best sad-bastard music, Stranger In The Alps alchemizes sorrow into redemptive beauty. It’s never about wallowing, but about slowly moving through it. That difference, played out over some incredible, wise-beyond-her-years songwriting, makes it one of the best albums of the year.

The gripping tension between vulnerability and courage on Los Angeles musician Phoebe Bridgers' debut album, Stranger in the Alps, is something that usually takes singer-songwriters numerous attempts to achieve — if ever.