Mitski – The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We

Review Score:

A-

September 21 / 2023

Let’s start with this: it’s a good thing Mitski didn’t retire. Rumors of her impending withdrawal from the industry began to circulate after she began to shift her focus away from the Laurel Hell era. Even though she personally shot down such whispers, The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We is still a surprisingly quick follow up to last year’s album given Mitski’s past comments on the industry. She’s been quite open with her thoughts on the changing music scene. And she isn’t really wrong. The music industry is simultaneously better and worse than it’s ever been. The internet, while it opens the door for so many independent artists to create, also turns them into content machines. This pressure has clearly had an effect on Mitski, who felt obligated to make a certain kind of music. 

But on TLIIASAW (pardon my sloppy abbreviation, you’ll be seeing more of it here), Mitski sounds relaxed in a good way. Some of her previous work sounds as if it’s caught in a trap of its own design in a sense. If this most recent project is what Mitski sounds like when she’s making music on her own terms, then I look forward to the future.

On TLIIASAW, Mitski demonstrates some of her best, most heart wrenching lyricism. “I’m Your Man” is a standout track for me. It details the tragic dynamic of a tumultuous relationship nearing its end.

“You’re an angel, I’m a dog

Or you’re a dog and I’m your man

You believe me like a god

I’ll destroy you like I am

I’m sorry I’m the one you love”

This is one of many broader, deeper themes that Mitski explores on the album. Time and time again, she paints beautiful lyrical tapestries, many of which yearn for meaning in a confusing world.

These themes are complimented by a gentler, more organic sound. Mitski even dips her toes into country on occasion (a rising trend for indie artists at the moment, though it never seems as if Mitski is “chasing a trend”). “Heaven” contains the subtle twang of a guitar (a recurring theme across the album’s 11 tracks). “My Love All Mine All Mine” is a sweet, mellow tune that deserves all the recognition it gets. “The Deal” also stuck with me, though I found generally that the second half of the album was stronger than the first. Drew Erickson, the writer of the orchestral swells that appear many times across these songs, was also responsible for Weyes Blood’s most recent album. His collaboration with Mitski (typically a fan of synth pop sounds) is unexpected but welcome.

Review Score:

A-

Gubb wrote this review. You can’t get mad at Gubb.