Stranger In The Alps follows Bridgers’ 2015 three-song single “Killer,” produced by Ryan Adams in his L.A. studio and released on Adams’ Pax-Am label. Since early 2016, she’s toured with Julien Baker, Conor Oberst (who also guests on Stranger In The Alps track “Would You Rather”), and Adams, among others.
Stranger in the Alps opens with the one-two punch of “Smoke Signals” and
“Motion Sickness,” a pair of songs that highlight Bridgers' abilities. The
former, a gorgeous, ethereal tune guided by sparse electric guitar and sweeping
strings, toes the line between weary and wistful, using specific anecdotes from
its singer to tell its tale. The style highlights the strengths of Bridgers'
unique lyric writing perspective: there are overt references
to lost idols, canonical pop songs and actual incidents, but her stories unfold
through specific, evocative imagery sung in her subtle, confessional style. The
latter is perhaps the most upbeat moment on the album and was written on her
baritone guitar and discusses a problematic relationship from her past.
“I feel like I'm getting more focused when I write,” she says. “My songs
are super personal.”
“Scott Street” is a song inspired by East Los Angeles where Bridgers now
lives. “Killer” is a song originally appearing on her Adams-produced single
but is re-recorded here by the album's producer, Tony Berg, with John Doe
singing alongside Bridgers. That song in particular inspired her to be more
honest in her approach. “I wanted to be more genuine with my lyrics, and to
me that meant being self-deprecating or a little more selfaware,
and not using words that just sounded pretty,” she says. “I had an epiphany
that I can be honest with myself and with other people when I'm writing.”
Elsewhere, Conor Oberst joins her for the duet “Would You Rather,” a singer chosen for his unmistakable voice. A Mark Kozelek cover, “You Missed My Heart,” ends the album. As with any singer's debut, the songs here comprise a wide swath of Bridgers' life, dating from the oldest, “Georgia,” which she calls the most different sounding on the LP, to the opening pair, which were written after the recording process had already begun.
Berg and co-producer Ethan Gruska worked with Bridgers to record in on-and-off stretches in between tours over 2016 at Berg's studio in Brentwood. Phoebe went into the studio with the majority of the material written, however “Smoke Signals” and “Motion Sickness” were written in a cabin in Idaho, while Bridgers was waiting for a tour to begin. The pair were the last songs written for the LP.