By Jaden Reynolds
Mitski is a polarizing artist to many people. Her sometimes-upbeat instrumentals and incredibly depressing lyrics can leave the listener confused on just how to feel. She’s been around for a while and has been widely successful with a multitude of audiences. I can safely say that there is no one in music like Mitski. Whether you love or hate her, she insanely different from anything else out there.
My past with Mitski is a scattered one. She is an artist that I listened too quiet a bit at one point but has never stayed consistent in my rotation. Her last album Laurel Hell left me extremely disappointed, so I didn’t really know what to think going into her new release. I think it’s safe to say I was pleasantly surprised.
The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We is Mitski’s most cohesive album to date. In her past releases, I’ve always felt like they were extremely scattered, but she really stepped it up a notch here. The beginning of the album starts with an almost country-folk sound, which caught me off guard. Her signature art-pop singer-songwriter sound is found later in the album, but I found this new direction to be a needed switch up.
The songwriting on the record is Mitski’s best to date and I can say that with full confidence. That’s been the focal point of her music since the start of her career, but I think there was a big step up here. The track “The Deal” puts what she can do on full display. I’m not going to go into detail so you can check it out for yourself but It’s a personal favorite of mine.
The only complaint I have with the album is how fast everything turns around. It starts off on a positive note, which is new for Mitski. She then immediately goes into her signature sad style for the rest of the album until the last track “I Love Me After You.” It ends the album on a positive note, but I don’t believe it was earned. The switch of emotion is extremely abrupt and, while I liked the closer on its own, it kind of pulled me out of the album.
The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We is the culmination of Mitski’s past work while also bring new elements to the table. The ideas it explores are refreshing and well thought out. Mitski pulled out everything she could from this record, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing a new side of her. I hope to see her continue to improve and innovate in the future, because The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We is a great piece of work.
Favorite Tracks: The Deal, My Love Mine All Mine
Least Favorite Tracks: Buffalo Replaced
Rated Eight out of Ten