The frontwoman of indie-folk outfit Big Thief, produces an impressive 2nd solo LP ‘Abysskiss’ which serendipitously delves into the nature of birth, death, and the interconnectedness of human existence with the natural world.
One fleeting look at Big Thief or Adrianne Lenker’s ‘free-spirited’ social media accounts, and it’s no surprise that Lenker chose these topics for her latest LP. The sheer embrace of human existence in its natural habitat, whether it be in the sandy dunes of New Mexico or the leafy green of her back garden, is vital to Lenker’s understanding of the larger world. In spite of the enthralling highs of her full-band project Big Thief, one of the most interesting indie rock/folk bands of the decade, Lenker has recently decided to return to pursue her solo project – an even more personal account of her inner thoughts and personal understanding of the outside world. In a recent interview with The Line of Best Fit, Lenker stated ‘I want to be more in touch with these essence of things and go beyond our own descriptions’ – certainly an apt precursor to this delicately beautiful album featuring some of her best solo work yet.
The record starts off as it means to go on with melodic acoustic guitar riffs with delicate vocal melodies, ‘Terminal Paradise’ is the first song which grapples with the notion of death and the afterlife. ‘Worm will you return me to the robin’s beak? I’ll be a bird’, is the first instance which encapsulates her reincarnation into nature. For Lenker, this fact is very much a consolation for her and one which leads her to not be afraid of the idea of death, but rather, embrace it and let her own spirit become evolved into something else in the afterlife.
‘From’ and ‘Womb’ are the following tracks which sees the creation of a child arriving into this world fatherless, leaving Lenker in need of female companionship. With similarly plucked acoustic guitar melodies, the incorporation of Lenker’s soothing voice over such a dire topic offers such a chilling oxymoronic listening experience. Not only this, but her uniquely delicate voice plays perfectly into the sense of desperation and loss in this situation which is backed by these swelling synth chords layering the latter half of the song.
‘Out of Your Mind’ precariously diverges from the acoustic guitar ambience with a more soft-distortion/Big Thief-esque sound with some awkward vocal harmonies littered in the pre-chorus sections of the song. Perhaps the weakest track of the LP which not only sonically diverges from the main theme of the album but also lyrically, Lenker battles her inner demons rather than grappling with nature or the wonders of human existence. Whilst offering some beautiful guitar harmonies toward the end of the track, it ultimately lacks Lenker’s delicate vocal touch and poetic lyricism which the majority of the album brims with.
Lenker eventually returns to the main sonic and thematic tropes of the album on her following track ‘Cradle’. Likening her maternal role to some sharp features of nature ‘Like a storm, the air you steal, glacial form, the icy heel’, Lenker clearly conveys the synonymous nature of raising her child with nature’s unpredictability and volatility. The track ‘Symbol’ showcases a Radiohead-esque minor-scaled acoustic riff which Lenker speak-sings on the off-beat about longing love and affection. Likening time and distance away from her romantic partner to the cyclical nature of the natural world, ‘fly make flea, make haste, make waste, eight makes infinity’, Lenker pursues a more brooding tone in this halfway point on the album. The layered delay in her vocal delivery adds a certain haunting disconnection between her and the subject of her partner. At the bridge section, she notes ‘the symbol of love is time’ – begrudgingly accepting that as like with nature, one must be patient for love and re-growth to occur in this world.
The song ‘Blue and Red Horses’ doesn’t feature the most complicated guitar sequence, repeating the same refrain throughout, however, the addition of some jarring electric guitar notes in the background offer another emotional, albeit late, layer. Lenker’s free-spirited nature comes back to the fore stating she’s ‘a lot of boy, with a lot of nerve, do you want to toy with me?’ throughout the song’s chorus, exuding her own playfulness within the depths and wonders of the surrounding forest. The album’s title track ‘Abyss Kiss’ then transcends this playfulness within her natural surroundings, into intimacy and love, ‘love is on the boulder…love never leaves…love is the leaves, in the sky’. Her reminiscent memories of ‘her mother’s fortress…brushing horses’, allows the listener to peer into Lenker’s background for the first time in this album, and gain an appreciation of how deep the world of nature runs in Lenker’s history. For Lenker, the world of nature not only evokes fond memories of her past, but also allows her to revel in the present and find solace in the future and afterlife.
‘What Can You Say’ beautifully depicts Lenker’s loss of her best friend, once again, likening her pain and anguish to the ‘cutting of the cold wind’ as she looks for guidance from the ‘red moon’. Even in her darkest times, Lenker looks to nature to provide answers for romance and the rekindling of relationships, even if she finds herself in a deeply traumatic period. The final track ‘10 miles’ rounds the album off with almost an entire recap of Lenker’s preceding 9 tracks. Ultimately dying in her lover’s arms, Lenker transcends into nature in the form of birds ‘preying on skin’ and then recites her fond memories growing up on a farm in Minnesota. The utterly melancholic ending of Lenker ‘to die in your arms, your words forming again’ is layered with such beautifully soft synth chords which crescendo toward the latter half of the song. While the ending may be abrupt, the simultaneous ending of the guitar and vocals add a stark finishing note to the record – one which sees Lenker’s life permeated within nature and unafraid to be redefined in the afterlife.
Many may come to criticise this piece of work as an all-too-familiar sound for Lenker and her side project of Big Thief, with intricate acoustic guitar riffs and poetic lyricism, which I would have to personally concede. However, it is this lyricism which brings Lenker to the fore ahead of her fellow songwriters – namely Laura Marling, Damien Jurado, and perhaps Mount Eerie. This LP is nothing flashy or aver-ambitious, Lenker plays to her instrumental and lyrical strengths, and revels in the seeming sonic simplicity of these songs. The finished product is ultimately triumphant in its literary and poetic features, and deserves to be reckoned as one of the most intriguing indie-folk albums this year.
8/10
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