Big Thief - Two Hands

I'm pretty much in the same boat as dog latin, but all the positive reviews have me curious, even though I'm still afraid a stripped-back Lenker solo album removes exactly the things I've loved the most about the two most recent Big Thief records.

I don't think the sound/feel of Songs is drastically different from U.F.O.F. (it's closer than Abysskiss was, even though that record had a few songs that actually appeared on U.F.O.F.).

It doesn't feel totally stripped bare.

I don’t think I’m as into her solo stuff as I am big thief. Not sure why it shifted off of my personal Pinterest board here, it’s not like it’s bad, but I’m not as much into the cult of lenker for whatever reason

I had trouble staying with Songs first listen as well, it's just a little too precious and meek for me, whereas I guess the full band balances that out somewhat and brings out her more aggressive side. I loved her live solo but I haven't heard recordings that quite capture the magic it had. The early solo stuff is cool and I like some of the songs on Abysskiss.

particularly like these songs from A Sides:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-5dBOuXdrA&list=PLb94Zw9KCu-cx-P7usTVAdQgxqa3uHKp3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAMmf4NhA5o&list=PLb94Zw9KCu-cx-P7usTVAdQgxqa3uHKp3&index=3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIC-9bUU3uA&list=PLb94Zw9KCu-cx-P7usTVAdQgxqa3uHKp3&index=5

Not sure those links posted, but Indiana, Kerina, and Jonathan

precious and meek

I think this was the original name of Adrianne & Buck's performing duo ;)

haw

fwiw - I don't think there's anything particularly unusual or mysterious to be into a band but not so into the lead singer/songwriter's solo stuff (especially if it's acoustic). I love Hours Were the Birds, but it's very much a solo folkie thing - it doesn't sound at all like Big Thief (which didn't exist yet). The sound/vibe of Abysskiss is a little static and difficult for me to engage with, for whatever reason. The new one does kind of tap into the BT vibe for me (as I said above), but yeah, it's still not the full band.

(it may be an interesting thread idea - "Love the band, indifferent to the solo artist")

fwiw - I don't think there's anything particularly unusual or mysterious to be into a band but not so into the lead singer/songwriter's solo stuff (especially if it's acoustic). ... The new one does kind of tap into the BT vibe for me (as I said above), but yeah, it's still not the full band.

― Video Drama (morrisp), Wednesday, October 28, 2020 bookmarkflaglink

Funny, I was having a similar thought about the Jeff Tweedy album that just came out (on the same day as the Lenker stuff, I think). I like Wilco but I've never been super enthusiastic about his solo material, even though it's perfectly fine and not even that far off from the full band stuff!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKcQyUszdhw

a great performance, i'm fascinated by her using a brush to strum on "dragon eyes"

yeah! really great performance. she is very straightforward. i love that.

Just noticed Adrianne did an AMA on r/indieheads yesterday

Been coming back to this one a lot recently. In terms of composition I think it's my favourite. There are things they're doing with the music that completely confounds me, like I can't understand what it is or how they conceived it

Or at least, at this stage, UFOF, Two Hands and Capacity hold level as my favourites. But these days it's the Two Hands material I find myself craving most

two hands has such great, dry 70s drums

The new Buck Meek album is really nice... kind of like a poppier Will Oldham, or mellow, mid-70s Dead. Upbeat tunes, pedal steel, warbly singing, etc.

Wow, am only three songs in (Track 3 must've been the advance single, since I remember hearing that one months ago) but am already taken with the production on Two Saviors--finding it a flattering mix of polished but scrappy so far.

a really good friend of mine, who has an excellent ear for production, also said he loved the sound of it

i have permanent "played drums in a concrete echo chamber" ears, so i have no fucking clue

Nothing against the Lenker album from last year, which I did like, but I can see myself coming back to the new Meek far more often. The Lenker one is so wispy that I need to be in a certain mood for it, the Meek one feels more comfortable.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CLcLUyYnmwt/

performance of a new song "simulation swarm"

mesmerizing...

you can tell the difference btw a song she's writing for the band, and the "adrianne lenker" songs

i don't really hear much of a difference, except in how the final arrangement ends up of course, as demonstrated by the abysskiss tracks that also were reworked for ufof

I was thinking more of this one in comparison with the tracks on songs (her most recent release) - this feels more intense - though admittedly I've only spun songs a few times.

I c-a-n-n-o-t w-a-i-t to hear the studio version of that jaw-dropping live song that was posted above (from a few different shows) some months back.

Love that new one she just posted. Man I need to see Big Thief live one of these days.

I wish I had enjoyed their show better than I did. They blew up so quickly and I don't think they quite figured out how to project to a large sized venue.

had a ticket to see them last august? september? :(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8qczqgXvB4

hadn't heard this japanese bonus track "red leaves, falling" from songs before, it's incredible. gorgeous sax

I c-a-n-n-o-t w-a-i-t to hear the studio version of that jaw-dropping live song that was posted above (from a few different shows) some months back.

FTR, I was referring to "Time Escaping," which was actually posted on another thread – here it is again (still rules):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C_ax0XYn1E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF0dXT-v-vY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBc-yGE7IkU

new music!!!

they go on tour in the first week of september so i wonder if the new album will be out by then

i'm not huge on "sparrow", it's a little repetitive, but wow "little things" is incredible

like that free-flowing groove is so good, i could listen to this band just noodle away forever

I'm hoping, iirc there was an interview in March-ish where Buck Meek said their new album was pretty much done.

yeah i'm expecting it'll surely be out before the end of the year

"little things" reminds me a lot of tusk but way more out there, i've had it on loop basically for the last three hours

I think "Little Things" is the song Adrianne was playing/singing in an Insta story last week

Yeah, this is great

(also not huge on "Sparrow" - assume it's not an album track?)

they're presenting this as a double a-side so i would assume that both of these are probably going to be on the next album

I agree "Little Things" has a bit of a Fleetwood Mac feel, but also – like other recent BF stuff (see "Time Escaping," above) – has deep roots in other precedents that hit me hard on an aesthetic/emotional level, but I can't put my finger on what exactly they are. I could also listen to this groove all day!

"Sparrow" has sort of a "devotional" quality, no? It's like Lavender Diamond or something.

I love "Little Things" and it also makes me think of them as an arena band -- it's kind of a U2 move (in addition to other influences mentioned above).

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSaTgjuJf9D

confirmed that both tracks are on the album

"sparrow" is growing on me, i think it'll be a solid enough album track

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1eypolupH0

another new single "certainty"

Their most country-fied tune since the first album, no?

Def my fave of the three advance singles so far--am liking how it strikes me as a slight companion to/vocal reversal of something like "Candle" off Buck Meek's great recent album (a tune which Lenker co-wrote)

some of the other new songs they've played live have been more country-tinged too

Nice but a bit unremarkable, no? - how I felt about the Buck Meek album.

"Little Things" -- which, aside from the electric guitar, sounds like DMB -- is an absolute jam.