This was really heavy for some reason.
I think Mitski really dives head first into her themes here in both the production landscape and the writing, and it all hits really hard.
This has very few songs that I would consider sub-par compared to the others on the album, which is something I felt like Be The Cowboy suffered slightly from. All the songs here have extremely memorable traits individually, and they manage to be different while also fitting together quite well.
I think Mitski’s vocal work is perhaps the best I’ve heard so far here. Her performance on “Townie” is sporadic and unpredictable in the best way possible. “First Love / Late Spring” is one of her most dense orchestrations, and the layering at play is very sophisticated. I also think it’s funny how her idea of a two-parter song is only four minutes long; Mitski likes to keep it short and sweet and I don’t mind at all.
This album seems to be more rooted in rock than the other two poppy albums that I listened to, and it works really well for the whole album. From the previously mentioned “Townie” to the subtle, almost punk-esque riff on “Francis Forever”, there’s a lot of very angsty melodies being tossed around on this album.
“I Don’t Smoke” is an absolutely heartbreaking song, and you can really feel that coming from Mitski’s performance. Again, we’re introduced to the track with a pretty heavy guitar riff; this, juxtaposed with Mitski’s soft voice, is a pretty intoxicating combination.
I’ve talked a lot about how I don’t think Mitski could ever outdo “Nobody”, but with “I Will”, she comes pretty damn close in my opinion. The clunky bassline that parades throughout this song- along with that addicting keyboard riff make this one of my absolute favorite Mitski songs, I listen to it all the time.
“Carry Me Out” is the beginning of the end, and we’re brought into this one a little softer than the previous songs. As usual, Mitski is very good at both introducing an album and finishing it too with a very conclusive outro song.
Bury Me At Makeout Creek might just be my favorite Mitski album that I’ve heard thus far, and I don’t know who would agree with me on that, but this really hit home. I like the more rock directed instrumentation, and I would love to see Mitski go in that direction again in the future.
8/10
Personal Favorites:
Francis Forever
I Don’t Smoke
I Will
Carry Me Out
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