Mitski's land is inhospitable and so are we

The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We – Mitski's latest addition to her discography is no less than an exceptional experience of breaking and mending.  The album has 11 tracks with a runtime of 32 minutes, the same as her previous album. But even then, it doesn't feel incomplete in any way. The record also successfully references many of Mitski's older songs with subtlety.

"Bug Like An Angel" as the opening to the album deserves a lot of praise. It sets the stage for the sombre yet warm themes that are present throughout the record. The addition of a choir to the track is the cherry on top, as it breathes life and soul into the track in calm bits. It's a perfect teaser for the land and its inhospitality that Mitski metaphorically presents in the album narrative.

The chronological order of the album harnesses a sound which slowly weaves a pattern. This design gets its motif from "Buffalo Replaced", a track that brings a heavy guitar sound to accompany its moody interpretation of modernity and a longing of a rather natural escape. "Heaven" and "I Don't Like My Mind" further emphasise the motif, with the former being more distinct and dynamic while the latter discusses the mind's constant yearning for work.

Mitski has always been a genius in nuanced storytelling. The soundscape and lyrical interface of the track "The Deal"  further solidifies her reputation as one. The reckless emotions driving through the album heighten once more at "When Memories Snow" before slowing down for "My Love Mine All Mine." Both tracks introduce a mood befitting the album. Following it, "The Frost" and "Star" are calm songs that register a sense of loneliness and longing offered with a slow-burn.

The album's most noteworthy track for me is "I'm Your Man", a regretful and self-loathing musing of a past relationship. The ending of the album, "I Love Me After You" perfectly captures all the seeds Mitski has sown  throughout this record, establishing a personal and realistic resolution showered with acceptance of oneself.

The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We is far from a conventional studio album. It's an amalgamation of the delicacies Mitski has mastered over the years, addressing the art of painfully healing. And it might perhaps be the best album Mitski has released to date.

Shaikh Sabik Kamal is a student of grade 12 at St. Joseph Higher Secondary School.