Mitski’s latest album, The Land is Inhospitable And So Are We (often shortened to The Land), is a gorgeous display of her songwriting capabilities, relying more on her intimately soulful lyrics than a heavy amount of digital enhancements and robust instrumentals. The album features nine original songs, which, if listened to from start to finish, paint a lamentful picture of Mitski’s struggle with the weighty pain that comes with having a soul. The Land features heavily country-western inspired acoustics, a far departure from the electric synth-pop style of her last album, Laurel Hell. While I really enjoyed Laurel Hell, the rawness of The Land allows for more intimacy with the gut-wrenching lyrics and message Mitski portrays.
In terms of individual songs, my top picks are “The Deal”, “When Memories Snow” and “My Love Mine All Mine”. Each of these songs is unique while still fitting into the organic, lonesome-country motif of the album.
“The Deal” tells the haunting story of a narrator who wishes to be rid of her soul, so she makes a deal with a spirit during the night to take it in return for nothing but the freedom of no longer dealing with the pain a soul brings. The song starts with a light but driving acoustic guitar melody, then shifts to a more intense, keyboard-backed chorus (where the narrator is begging the spirit to take her soul) which, juxtaposed with Mitski’s poignant voice and powerful minor chords, move the listener to resonate with the pain the narrator feels.
“When Memories Snow ” is a much shorter song (only two verses), but it stands out for its instrumentals in the second half. The song starts off with just piano chords, Mitski’s voice and a choral accompaniment after every line. In the middle of the song, however, it swells into an upbeat, exciting arrangement of brass instruments, keyboard and drums while still maintaining the elements from the beginning. The song itself is about how the narrator “shovels” her memories to the back of her mind like snow instead of actually dealing with them. While the message is sad (as most Mitski songs are), the energy and catchiness of the second half makes this song stand out from the slower tempo of the rest of the album.
“My Love Mine All Mine” is one of the most popular songs off the new album, as it paints a picture of the narrator as she talks to the moon, asking to send her love up to the celestial body so that it can remain in the sky forever. To me, this ties into the theme of the album, “the land is inhospitable”: how our existence on Earth is fleeting, and so we look up at the sky and think about how the stars and the moon will bear witness to this land long after we’re gone. The song is slow and quiet, but that allows Mitski’s voice to become the main instrument and vessel for her message. It’s simply a beautiful song.
There were many other songs I could have reviewed here; “I Don’t Like My Mind” and “Star” were high contenders, and I truly believe that every song off this album was written and recorded with such care and emotion that entire essays could be written picking apart each lyric and phrase for the deeper meanings. In general, this album felt more similar to Mitski’s earlier works than her more recent albums, still bringing a very distinct sound to her discography. While her style of music might not be everyone’s cup of tea, I urge you to give some of these songs a listen, as they portray the tragedy of the human experience in such a profound way that I think everyone will be able to relate to at least one of the messages.
