After considering retiring, singer-songwriter Mitski has released a new alternative album named “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We” which was released on September 15th.
Mitski has posted several videos on social media platforms after the release of her new album, explaining the process of writing each and every song, and the true meaning behind them.
Mitski’s new “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We” explores diverse topics, ranging from the stories of addiction and family told in the first track, “Bug Like an Angel”, to Mitski revealing on the track “My Love Mine All Mine” how she feels that “to love is the best thing in my life, better than any song I’ve ever written, better than any achievement by far. To love is truly the best and most beautiful thing I ever did.”
Brooke Amarat, a freshman here at PMHS shares her own thoughts on Mitski, stating “Mitski is just so amazing at what she does with being a singer-songwriter. She has produced great music, and she has a great crowd.”
Within the eleven tracks on the album, one of the tracks that stands out the most on the album is definitely “I Don’t Like My Mind”, a depressing and somewhat relatable song that mainly expresses dissatisfaction and hatred for your own mind.
“I Don’t Like My Mind” sets the tone for the album when Mitski reveals how your worst enemy can be your own brain.
The song also deals with her attempts to avoid being left by herself with her mind by “blasting music loud” or “working myself to the bone,” but this just results in going through this never-ending repeating cycle of avoiding since these self-destructive distractions only form new memories which makes her want to not be left alone even more.
Although it’s widely known that all of Mitski’s albums carry their own tone and story, you can’t help but notice the differences between her most recent album drops.
It’s been nearly two years since Mitski last released a studio album, her last album “Laurel Hell” was released on February 4th of 2022. And, while both albums “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We” and “Laurel Hell” are incredible albums by Mitski, they also have noticeably big differences.
“I like her old album ‘Laurel Hell’ better because I think it’s more relatable and I love the more upbeat music,” said Vanessa Malave, a junior here at PMHS.
In her new album, “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We,” Mitski explores and shares on the subject of isolation, heartbreak, and self-discovery using the previously mentioned tracks, all while expressing a more somber and pensive tone.
The topics on her new album are unlike the ones discussed on “Laurel Hell”, which holds a more energetic and livelier tone overall, which is shown on the tracks exploring things such as personal growth, self-reflection, and the difficulties that come with relationships.
In “Laurel Hell,” Mitski sings about the aspects of exploring love, whereas in “The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We” she has a new sense of knowingness, and she focuses more on the idea of love and explains how love is the only thing that she truly has, and it is there for as long as she wants it.
Although, the one thing these albums have in common is that Mitski’s mesmerizing vocal abilities and talent to create such beautifully poetic lyrics shine in both “Laurel Hell” and “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We”.
