Sweet and sorrowful.

Review Score:

A+

April 2 / 2024 –

I had to sit on this for a while. Because it’s no walk in the park. Like much of Adrianne Lenker’s work, it’s careful and thoughtful and deep. The density of her music reflects the relationships she sings about. Nothing is as simple as it sounds. Even the opener, “Real House”, which is about as stripped back as it gets, carries a heavy weight that didn’t really strike me until this morning.

I woke this morning to the shifting of the person beside me. It was still the dark blue of early morning. I looked out the window a while and, after she left, put on my headphones and turned to this album. And it was today that it finally struck me with the full weight I’ve come to expect from Lenker. I don’t think it’s any exaggeration to call her one of our greatest living songwriters. And she demonstrates that to a brilliant degree on Bright Future.

“Real House”, as I said before, is a bare bones piano ballad. Maybe ballad is the wrong word. Because while it strikes with the power of one, Lenker’s vocals are soft and subtle. It’s the nostalgic lyricism and comforting vocal delivery that make “Real House” so special. Line after line, she paints these poetic, gorgeous vignettes of childhood. Lenker’s writing feels thankful, in a way. Feeling gracious for what she has, Lenker pens track after beautiful track about relationships to herself, others, and the world around her. The central theme, forlorn as some tracks are, is optimism. “Sadness As A Gift” really doubles down on this idea. Over strummed acoustic guitar, Adrianne Lenker thinks of a relationship long since faded.

“Fool” demonstrates Lenker’s willingness to branch out. While she is clearly a master of the acoustic tracks, “Fool” utilizes some interesting production that makes for a more engaging and rewarding album experience. “Vampire Empire”, a song that’s generated some “controversy” with the Big Thief version, is probably at its strongest here on Lenker’s solo album. The missing “last time in a row” line has been put back in its rightful place. Lenker sounds just as energetic and impassioned as she did in the live/demo versions fans missed so dearly. The later half of the album plays like a lullaby. Once again, Lenker leans into simplicity to great effect. “Cell Phone Says” is a sweet, sorrowful tune that makes me want to close my eyes on a rocking chair.

This is probably the best Lenker solo album to date. Her songwriting matures with each new project. Though not as instrumentally dense as a Big Thief project, Bright Future feels deeply personal, vulnerable, and honest.

Review Score:

A+

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