Bright Future

Recorded
Released

There’s that old tired trope about “[City] Being Another Character” in a film. The idea that the setting of the thing is so prominent, so baked into the bones into what you’re experiencing that it becomes as important as the action on screen. The same could be said for tape hiss. The pillow of hiss becomes another level of constant comfort on Big Thief singer Adrianne Lenker’s latest solo album Bright Future. It’s an album of more pillowy sounds, an exploration of softness and sadness that, like the majority of her output, feels raw and straight to the point without ever crossing over into cloying over-sentimentality. Highlights include the tone poem “Real House,” all dark piano and light, light, ever so light touches of violin. The John Prine-y “Fool” and “No Machine” — the latter festooned with babbling background vocalization — are just a small taste of a collection of heartbreaking songs that soar past the small pockets they emerge from.

Amelia Riggs

Suggestions
New Radiations cover

New Radiations

Marissa Nadler
Farm to Table cover

Farm to Table

Bartees Strange
Flood cover

Flood

Stella Donnelly
Rain Dogs cover

Rain Dogs

Tom Waits
Accompany cover

Accompany

Michael Nau
Ghosteen cover

Ghosteen

Nick Cave
Free Now cover

Free Now

Drew Citron
Belladonna of Sadness cover

Belladonna of Sadness

Alexandra Savior