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 self-aware, 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.
"I wasn't trying to be too lo-fi, too hi-fi, too self-serious, too disingenuous...I feel pretty confident that I'm finding my voice," she says. "I wanted the album to completely represent who I am and these songs are representative of what I set out to do."
