Big Thief’s newest single reminds us of the beauty of a life sculpted by living.
New York’s Grammy nominated indie/folk band, Big Thief, lays the path for the rollout of their newest album with the single, “Incomprehensible.” The album, “Double Infinity,” serves as the follow-up to the critically acclaimed and praised 2023 album, “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You.” The newest project will feature nine new tracks and writes a new chapter of Big Thief playing as a trio, as bassist Max Oleartchik left the group in 2024.
The new single “Incomprehensible” is a beautiful and atmospheric ballad that meditates upon the fear and mystery of aging. Adrianne Lenker, the band’s lead vocalist, aims to mend this fear through poetic reflections as she dives into her distant future. The song is written from her perspective, driving through Canada, clutching and reminiscing upon the mementos and memories that colored her childhood. As Lenker stands on the brink of her thirty-third birthday, looking into her distant future of growing grey, this idea of growing older is met with a sense of anxiety and fear imposed upon by the societal rejection of aging.
Yet, Lenker learns to embrace this natural process, taking it in with a warm embrace as she states, “How can beauty that is living be anything but true?” There is a deep beauty to the mystery of aging; letting your appearance tell the story of a life lived in full. On “Incomprehensible,” Lenker welcomes the natural, allows gravity to be her sculptor and the wind her hairdresser, and to embrace the metamorphosis of growing old. She dives into her future with the simple statement, “Incomprehensible, let me be.”
The trio of Lenker, Buck Meek, and James Krivchenia collaborated with an army of talent to deliver a power work of art, served to mend the fear of growing older. Produced by the band’s longtime engineer, Dom Monks, you can tell that there is a difference in Big Thief’s sound. “Incomprehensible” features a more filtered and subtle performance compared to their previous projects, but this darker sound only builds to the atmospheric ambience that allows for Lenker’s vocals to sing loud and true. If this single gives us a peak into what to expect on “Double Infinity,” we are due for a deep and beautiful album when September comes.
Listen to “Incomprehensible” by Big Thief now!
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