Big Thief asserts indie-folk dominance with fifth studio album
Big Thief is back, and arguably, better than ever with “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You.” Filled to the brim with folky tunes that revel in magical realism, the 20-track album is pure, unbridled excellence. The group of four continues to flawlessly and casually surpass their previous work without undermining its independent and important existence. With this album, they explore new boundaries and push their limits towards dissonance, toeing the line of absurdity but remaining within the thin veil of reality.
The album opens with the soft steady beat of a drum that sweetly swells into the heartfelt, inquisitive number “Change.” The song grapples with life, death, uncertainty and the givens of the human experience, inching towards outright sadness before pulling in again and settling on comfort. Don’t let the downtempo opener fool you, the album descends toward controlled chaos, exploring racing country folk numbers littered with whimsical instrumentals.
Singer and guitarist Adrianne Lenker delivers lyrical masterpieces with a deep and raspy tone that is a staple of her independency from any other vocalist. Supporting her are Buck Meek, Max Oleartchik and James Krivchenia.
“DNWMIBIY” manages to capture the feeling of reverting to a childlike creativity without backsliding into naivety and immaturity. It takes in the magic and circulates it out again, filling the listener with a nostalgia for something they have yet to experience. The album, similarly to its title, is extensive, spanning one hour and 20 minutes from start to finish. While the album certainly has its standouts, each track offers something unique. Whether it’s the dazzling country medley that is “Red Moon” or the twang of the jaw harp that acts as the heartbeat of “Spud Infinity,” there is always more digging to be done in the production.
While this album teases a multitude of differentiating magical centerpieces, the titular song envelopes the listener in it completely. The song begins somewhat scattered, with the buzz of a plucked guitar, a gentle chiming and an ethereal glow slowly amplifying it. “It’s a little bit magic,” Lenker sings sentimentally, which, it truly is. The song continues to weave its way through a gathering of mystical happenings and lands on an unwavering belief in them.
Additional standouts are “Wake Me Up to Drive,” an up-tempo but subtle foot-tapping number, along with “Simulation Swarm” and “The Only Place.” While the first two are unequivocally Big Thief, the latter feels like it could be stuck directly into Lenker’s solo album “Songs” with its beautifully stripped down nature and breathtaking guitar fingerpicking underneath simple vocals. It proves that the band doesn’t need to resort to chaos to achieve what they’re after.
Perhaps where the beauty really comes from in this album is its haphazardness. The concoction of songs almost feels like it could be ironic, with a bit of a “throw something at the wall and see what sticks” method. Upon a first listen you realize you will never quite know what is coming next. However, a step back from the scattered pieces reveals an intuitive and magical record that revels in its own ramblings and combines an intricate, sometimes absurd, but always dazzling stream of consciousness.
