With every release from indie band Big Thief, there is a recurring magic captured within their work. Perhaps it is the fireside naturalistic soundscapes produced within their sound, or maybe it’s the darling twang found in vocalist Adrienne Lenker’s voice; each song this band delivers is a steaming mug full of comfort and love. Every album feels like a handcrafted gift, and Double Infinity is proof enough of that notion.
Throughout their work, there is a tender, gaping feeling of immense sensitivity. And along with that, a glimmering beam of hope and gratitude. When describing their music in the past, I’ve always said it sounds like the kind of music you hear once while sitting around a campfire full of people you love, when someone pulls a guitar out of seemingly nowhere, and you spend the rest of your days trying to remember the lyrics. Their sound is nostalgic, sweet, and while expertly written and produced, still somehow caked in a charming and home-made, dusty sound.
After the release of their two singles, “Vampire Empire” and “Born for Loving You”, fans expected a classically brash, Big Thief record. However, this time around, some categorize Double Infinity as “comics-folk” or “dream-twang”, and while I’m never been one to value the idea of a strict genre, I do find this distinction notable. The band stayed true to themselves, as they always do; however, they pivoted in a slight yet poignant way. They used gorgeous sounds of layered keys, airy drum beats, and soft, delicate guitar riffs to further underscore varying themes between hope, wisdom, loss, and grief.
What came before?
Despite what one might assume regarding the origins of the band due to their old-timey, bluegrass, twang; Big Thief only came to be a handful of years ago in Brooklyn, New York. The troupe involves guitarist Buck Meek, drummer James Krivchenia, bassist Max Oleartchik, and perhaps the very best songwriter of the modern generation: Adrienne Lenker.
Like their music, the early beginnings of their careers as a band are sweet and simple. After meeting originally in their undergrad program at Berklee College of Music, Meek and Lenker later reconnected and began performing as a duo and releasing EPs. Then came the addition of Oleartchik, and later Krivchenia, who was originally hired just as an engineer on their first album. Slowly but surely, the band persisted, growing a small following around New York and later touring locally by van.
Since the beginning, their music has received notable acclaim and praise. Their first album, Masterpiece, alone holds fan-adored and indie rock classics like “Paul”, “Velvet Ring”, and “Vegas”. Additionally, Capacity built upon this momentum and earned an 8.3 from Pitchfork in 2017. The albums and EPs that followed would perform similarly well, gaining the troupe what some consider to be a cult following.
As years passed and work was churned out, it seemed like from the moment these few friends put their heads together, they were already a well-oiled machine producing truly breathtaking, quality tunes one after another. In conversation surrounding the band, there seems to be a universally tender love for their work, and as we’ll later discuss, it’s surely well deserved.
The poetry of Double Infinity
A common thread among the bands’ work is expert-level songwriting abilities, and that notion rings especially true in Double Infinity. Their lyrics combine simplicity and flowery poeticism in an exactly perfect way, making devastating lyrics digestible and, more than that, beautiful. Songs on the album trickle through streams of thought regarding aging, intimacy, unbounding joy, unrelenting grief, and so much more, and yet it somehow doesn’t leave the listener feeling heavy; in fact, I felt quite the contrary.
One song in particular underscores this idea, the album opener: “Incomprehensible”. The song paints a picture: two lovers wasting time after missing a flight. They traverse beautiful nature-scapes across Ontario, swim in lakes, and drive with a trunk full of childhood memorabilia. Lenker sings in her beautiful, almost tear-ridden tone: “In two days it’s my birthday and I’ll be 33…That doesn’t really matter next to eternity…I like a double number and I like an odd one too…everything I see from now on will be something new”. So perfectly precise and succinct and yet chock-full of such tender, fleshy, rawness.
This not only exemplifies the poeticism used within their work, but it also highlights why this band works. The rustic beauty of Big Thief captures a moment most writers and most people would let slip by. A boring modern-day inconvenience, a travel trouble, and transforms it into a dreamy philosophical pondering about aging, the finite qualities of life, and the nonsense of growing up.
A difference in sound
While I wouldn’t say the sonic qualities of the album are a curveball or a total contrast from their previous work, I did note a few key differences. “All Night All Day” starts with a light, airy, and seemingly heavily produced sound-world of glittering piano keys and growing layered synthesizers. Similarly, on “Double Infinity,” there’s this soft, glowing echo, blurring the instruments used into a plush, easy on the ears, pillow of sound.
Now this isn’t to say they’ve completely abandoned the twangy, rough-around-the-edges qualities of their past work. But in contrast to their previous EP featuring heavy hitter Vampire Empire, the choice to veer cleaner, smoother, and more heavily produced is especially noticeable. Double Infinity shimmers like the sun on a glassy river, whereas Masterpiece or Dragon in the New Warm Mountain I Believe in You felt more like a rough gust of wind through a wheat field. Still gorgeous, yet entirely different.
Another album on the shelf
Just as one can depend on the sun rising in the morning, one can rest assured knowing Big Thief will produce a stunning piece of art. Truly, it is that simple. To be a fan of this band is to know that there is beauty in simplicity, and more than that, beauty in dependability. The universal love and adoration this band has received since its inception have been earned through nearly a decade of learning, crafting, and refining their now expertly developed sound.
Through different eras and evolving senses of musical and sonic maturity, this band succeeds in their every pursuit. Their skills lie in their ability to adapt to new developments within the industry, this time around being an uptick in production, and a softening from their harsher, more brazen sounds of the past. And along with that, a complementary commitment to a grounded sense of self.
The sound this band creates throughout their entire discography is a clear reflection of their interpersonal closeness and genuine care for the art they create collectively. Their work is an unending treasure trove, perfect for a music lover who likes to dig. So, when crafting your fall playlist or perusing your chosen music platform, I highly recommend checking out Double Infinity.
