Wilder Music

By Sophie Jones.

In the decade since their forming, the Brooklyn-based alternative/indie band Big Thief have become giants of their own corner of modern music, collecting Grammy nominations and receiving a warm critical reception since the days of their debut album in 2016. Originally a four-piece, the departure of bassist Max Oleartchik earlier this year for ‘interpersonal reasons’ could easily have knocked that magical creative formula which has shaped the band’s sound across their previous work. However, ‘Double Infinity’ makes it clear that no such damage has been caused. Of course, shifts are inevitable upon reaching this point in a music career, but in the case of Big Thief it seems that theirs are making room for something different.

From the first few seconds of opener and lead single ‘Incomprehensible’ it is abundantly clear that the warm, almost nostalgic tone of the band’s previous projects has carried over. Drummer James Krivchenia takes a key role in the introduction as Lenker’s voice begins to recite the song title before falling into an introspective and lyrically cryptic track concerning the joys and fears of growing older. In a way, this lyrical content sets quite a stage for the remainder of the record, warning the listener of the change which has taken place since 2022’s LP ‘Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You’.“Incomprehensible,”, Lenker sings, “Let me be incomprehensible”.

Indeed, the once-in-a-generation poems that are Adrianne Lenker’s lyrics have been at the heart of the music of Big Thief since the very start. Her stripped-back solo albums, which tend to feature more acoustic versions of Big Thief tracks alongside some more rambling, lyric-focused works, exhibit a writing style which is in many ways synonymous with the band. However, this album certainly benefits from the increased contributions of guitarist Buck Meek and Krivchenia on songs like ‘Los Angeles’. This drum heavy americana-esque track with an element of beat poetry to its rhythmic delivery features numbers prominently in its lyrics, and explores the complexities of drifting in and out of the life of somebody important to you. In many ways, this one in particular is reminiscent of earlier much-loved Big Thief tracks like ‘Vampire Empire’.

Increased collaboration on this record has not only continued the success of the old, though. Throughout there is a new ambiance to the sonics of this record, an almost psychedelic atmosphere is created through the slight distortion of Lenker’s vocal and regular fading, warping sounds within and between tracks. Of course, Big Thief have always walked the more experimental side of the indie music road but the distant feel created throughout the record by producer Dom Monks brings that experimentation to the forefront much more directly than in their previous work. Throughout, the band collaborated with a group of session musicians rather than attempt to replace Oleartchik directly, and it is clear that this has brought a kind of fluidity to its sound as well as that warmth which is afforded by a larger setup. The contribution of Americanmulti-instrumentalist Laraaji, whose vocals are featured on ‘Grandmother’ but who also contributed instrumentally to other tracks, is one key example of this.

‘Double Infinity’ may be Big Thief’s first album as a trio, but loss is not a word I am inclined to use at all with respect to this project. The gains lyrically and sonically are enormous, and their increased collaboration with outside sources has brought a wisdom and maturity to this record without compromising the authenticity which has always been so key to their art. All in all, this project is a beautiful, experimental, emotional triumph, exhibiting clearly how these three talented musicians continue to work in synergy and create music which succeeds in being greater than the sum of their parts.