Mitski - The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We Review
Moving through this album feels like an exploration of vast space, a narrator unpicking the love for a country, past relationships, her family and herself.
Via newsletter, a voice memo confirms the first single of her upcoming album. On YouTube, Mitski sits next to her piano, her phone propped up, and records herself on her phone. “If you’re like me and you don’t want to hear the artist’s intention behind the song, this might not be for you,”. She then begins to debrief the opening track of her in the span of thirteen minutes, chord progressions explained, lyrics laid bare. Contrary to face value belief, Mitski shares her influences and if you search for it, explanations and thought processes behind tracks fruition out of interviews and podcast appearances. This invitation to her process feeds her fanbase, who comb through lyrical themes and sentiments she touches on regularly throughout all of her albums. It’s a gift to Mitski fans, really.
For her seventh album, “The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We”, Mitski delivers what is her most impactful, concise vision. Clear in her intentions and setting out a landscape set in the vast space adept to the countryside, a humble country sound is affirmed by the pedal steel appearances throughout the album (The Frost). What remains a staple to the music of Mitski is her exploration of love, truly her wheelhouse at this point. Mitski's ability to pivot into different corners of love, songs of devotion to songs of missing and the unrequited. Meticulously crafted statements come as punches in the gut; who would’ve thought heartbreak could come with such a beautiful delivery?This is Mitski, at her very best.
The opening track is the seed of the album, informing the sound that inspires the rest of the album. A narrator, drunk, reveals the truth to her longing whilst being in a state where the longing has taken her. An undeniable soft gospel tendency, the narrator dips in between reflections that are acute, half finished observation from the duality of God to the impact of failed trust.The loneliness felt by the narrator goes against the refrain of “family” (a choir supporting her sing this singular word) alluding to what she craves, and what has brought her to this place
An old song from her private catalogue brought back to life, “Star” is a reminder to the ever-presence of a past lover. The lyrics are entrenched in mourning, the subtle orchestration and warm organ sounds offer a song for a wedding that never came to be. When the drums kick in, a building optimism arrives as she continues to indulge in this pleasant memory, a testament to romantic love at its strength, love that you came out stronger from.
Through the many incarnations of this song via TikTok, the multitude of interpretations of the lyrics for “ My love mine all mine” are a display of the masterfulness of Mitski’s lyrical ability. One thing is for certain, that within these varied meanings, the track decries as a powerful ode to love in all of its inflections. A world with so much yet still feeling like you have nothing, a latent result of consumerism and the means of modern society, the concept of what belongs to you and what can you leave behind becomes a genuine question for Mitski here, admitting sincerely, however “cheesy” it may come across, the only thing she feels that belongs to her in this world is love. Past the signposts, the perceived landmarks of success, does anything hold true more than having the ability to love? What can sometimes feel as a radical act, love is built here to be a powerful object to have in your grasp. Mitski pushes past the palpable and begs to ask, what if you could just leave the traces of the strongest thing you have ever felt?
The album’s conclusion “I’m Your Man” makes the realisation that after love, more belongs to her, a reclamation of the land she inhabits as hers. Past the material, she claims the shared streets, the night, slowly building a collection of palpable belongings that will stand past her time.”How I love me after you”, once that person is gone, a love still remains for herself.
There’s a disregard towards caring for the sensitive soul who cares too much, a liberating feeling as she strolls through the house naked, exposed to those who can so easily look in from the outside. Amongst the barking dogs and images of Americana, this Country sound fused with rock qualities is considered and harrowing. Moving through this album feels like an exploration of vast space, a narrator unpicking the love for a country, past relationships, her family and herself. From the cinematic violin swells, groans of a church organ , the production boasts of subtleties that encompass the quietude of the album. A testament to the fact that perhaps it’s the quiet moments that prove to be the loudest.