Following rumors of her retirement, the singer-songwriter Mitski returned with the release of her seventh studio album Sept. 15. Titled “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We,” the album has a warm yet melancholic feel to it. While many fans believed her previous album “Laurel Hell” would be her sendoff to listeners, she has returned with yet another captivating album. Prior to the release of the album, she teased it with three singles: “Star,” “Heaven” and “Bug Like an Angel.”
Unlike the previous Mitski sound featuring synthesizers and pop tunes, this album included many songs with only her vocals and acoustic guitars. The use of few instruments such as simple guitars and pedal steels created a large space, allowing Mitski to use her voice to fill the emptiness. She is a lyrical genius, and while some songs were scarce with the use of lyrics, the songs could be read as poems with how figurative they are.
Despite being only 32 minutes, the album holds so much imagery in each of its songs. She gets existential and describes her loneliness in songs like “The Frost” and “I Don’t Like My Mind.” In “When Memories Snow,” she reflects on her tendency to push her problems aside and tries to escape. She wishes to exchange her soul for another on “The Deal.” My favorite song on the album was “My Love Mine All Mine,” where she ponders on her immense love for someone, singing “nothing in the world belongs to me but my love, mine, all mine.”
She takes control on songs like “I’m Your Man,” telling her lover “you believe me like a god.” The album ends with “I Love Me After You,” a strong ballad about growing into a new person after ending a relationship. It is incredibly emotional and a riveting ending to the vulnerable album.
The album creates a big space, leaving Mitski alone with her thoughts which she vulnerably shares with us. The album got slow at times, but I loved how each song told a story. The tracks seamlessly transitioned into each other and the album was very cohesive. The whole album feels like an accumulation of all her past albums and versions of herself accepting her past.
The album has a very melancholic feel — a classic Mitski atmosphere. The lyrics hold so much emotion and her music is always incredibly personal. This is the perfect album for getting into the fall mood. She captured the feeling of a cold afternoon with this album.
The only fault I found with the album is that I was not too impressed by some of the singles, such as “Bug Like an Angel.” But overall, this was another great release from the acclaimed singer-songwriter. Listeners of Faye Webster, Phoebe Bridgers and Weyes Blood will enjoy this album.
“The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We”: ★★★★★
Highlights: “Buffalo Replaced,” “Heaven,” “My Love Mine All Mine”
