Overall rating: 9/10

Once again, Mitski proves how tragically beautiful both her sound and lyrics can be. On September 15th, the indie-alternative singer-songwriter released her seventh studio album titled, The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We. The release comes just a little over a year from her last album, Laurel Hell. Laurel Hell already came as a shock to many fans, as Mitski stated how she planned on leaving the music industry in an interview with Rolling Stone. However, Dead Oceans (Mitski’s label) needed her to produce another album. Consisting of 11 tracks and clocking in at just over 32 minutes, Mitski miraculously manages to convey her deepest emotions to her audience within this small time frame.  

The album opens with its lead single, “Bug Like an Angel.” With lyrics like, “Amateur mistake, You can take it from me,” this track truly showcases her vulnerability and experience with the situation she is transporting the listener into. “Sometimes a drink feels like family,” croons the singer. She shows how something as simple as a figurative “drink” can fill a void one may be missing, such as a sense of family. A choir follows up this line with a louder and more powerful iteration of the word, “family.” On my first listen, I was shocked by the stark contrast between this part and the rest of the song. Mitski is not afraid to experiment with her sound and continue to surprise listeners. 

Another standout track that skyrocketed in popularity following the release of the album is “My Love Mine All Mine,” which has even earned itself a place on the Billboard Hot 100. This is particularly interesting because it is Mitski’s first song to debut on the chart. Many, including myself, have interpreted “My Love Mine All Mine” as a representation of self love and its importance in life. Throughout the song, the songstress repeats the phrase, “‘Cause my love is mine, all mine,” showing how she has control over her feelings and her love. Soon after this phrase she states, “Nothing in the world belongs to me but my love mine, all mine, all mine.” Although she feels as if she has control over nothing else in her life, she is in possession of her own love and is conscious of how it affects her entire existence. 

My personal favorite track off of the album is somewhat lesser known. It is the fourth track which is titled, “I Don’t Like My Mind.” In this track, Mitski very fittingly laments about the strong dislike she has towards her own mind. I interpret this song as a demonstration of how she feels trapped within her own thoughts, in a vicious cycle of overthinking. She opens the track by stating how she does “not like” her mind. This is followed up by how she is not particularly fond of “being left alone in a room, with all its opinions about what I have done.” These lines indicate how she believes that no one is there to help her get out of her own thoughts, as she is “left alone” in this figurative room that is her mind. 

The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We showcases Mitski’s most powerful lyricism and interesting sound to date. She manages to marry her typical melancholy vibe and vocals with a louder sound as well. From popular hits, to lesser known songs, this album truly has it all.