With 2015 officially over, an album of the year can finally be declared. While a lot of remarkable music made its way onto the airwaves this year, the best album was by a rising singer-songwriter named Julien Baker, 20.

The album, entitled “Sprained Ankle” can only be described as 33 minutes of bare emotion. Baker carries the lightness of a feather in her voice while still admitting the blunt impact of a car crash. The melody she creates with her guitar does not detract from her voice, but rather floats effortlessly behind her.

In order to fully appreciate the lyrics of the nine songs on “Sprained Ankle” one must consume them. This is not an album you first listen to while trying to complete other tasks. Ideal conditions for a first time listening include closed eyes, laying down somewhere, and a bitter wind outside. The truth is, however, you can listen to it on the subway in the middle of rush hour. No matter where you are, the lyrics will consume you.

The genuine passion goes straight to your soul. Lyrics revolves around hardened topics such as drug abuse, self-hatred, heartache, and God. While these may seem like they would leave you crying, they are more powerful than depressing. These lyrics are so beautifully written you will feel as if you can watch the stories unfold in your mind.

Baker comes from Memphis, Tennessee where she was in a band with friends until last year. When she began college four hours away she realized she could not keep up with the band, thus beginning her solo career.

She wrote several songs in her dorm room and then took them to a recording studio in Virginia. Soon after she got picked up by 6131 Records.

Currently Baker has 5,600 Facebook fans and a little over two-thousand twitter followers. These numbers are sure to skyrocket within the next year. She has received notice everywhere from The New York Times to Rolling Stone. Her music has something that can resonate with any owner of a soul.

“Sprained Ankle” can be listened to here. Baker will also be on tour this winter hitting Brooklyn and Manhattan along the way. If her sound is this powerful in headphones, just imagine it in person.