ADRIANNE LENKER

abysskiss SAddLE CREEK 9/10 The Big Thief bandleader assumes a quiet posture for a superlative album

For her second solo album, and first since Big Thief formed, Adrianne Lenker channelled momentum from time spent on the road. Written during rare alone time in stairwells and green rooms, these 10 songs have a sequestered feeling of intimacy as a result. They unfold like tender petals in a moonlit blossom – delicate, stunning and layered to dramatic effect, with “Womb” summoning the acoustic allure of Nick Drake’s “One Of These Things First”. Unlike the two albums with her band, this solo work doesn’t outline a definitive narrative, and there isn’t a defining crescendo. Instead, midnight reflections on memory, love, distance and longing cushion ears like a soft pillow. It’s an invitation to peer into the hidden spaces of an extraordinary modern songwriter, where calm and quiet moments prompt superlative work.