Big Thief - Two Hands

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.

when i see the letters DMB, in that order, i immediately hear carter beauford whipping little 16th-triplets on a tightly closed hi-hat before opening it up to ring on the 4. ba-da-ba-Tsssss! maybe something for big thief to think about

Chimes, too

oh yeah, start of that glissando chime-wave, let it settle in for a few beats before the chorus, then 16th-triplets on the hi-hat, ba-da-ba-TSSSssssss! now you're in a new place with dave

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-tnbx7sm5s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H8vT4HSzy8

more recordings of new songs they're playing live, this time "red moon" and "dried roses"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRiAWV525lo

playing p4k fest right now

A rather dull start: three of their softest ballads.

they're playing the hits now. my old pals are at the show right now, crashing here later. i hope they're wearing masks

"dragon", this new one they're closing with, is really cool

If the album doesn’t include “Time Escaping,” I’m gonna be Big Mad!

they've been playing it on tour so it'll probably be there

20-song double album confirmed for early next year

i'd heard rumours it was going to be a double album so nice to have that confirmed

Fantastic! Well maybe not the “next year” part, thought it was coming sooner than that, but I’m sure it will be worth the wait.

I hope they embrace the messiness of a double album. I don’t think I’d enjoy a full double album of Big Thief by the numbers.

https://www.reddit.com/r/indieheads/comments/q1ia87/big_thief_confirm_20song_double_lp_being_released/

that's what they say they're doing

figured i'd compile as many of the new songs as i can to get an idea of what the album's going to be like. definitely a bit of a shift towards country

new songs played on tour 2021:
dragon
spud infinity
simulation swarm
change
dried roses
blue lightning
promise is a pendulum
red moon
blurred view
12,000 lines (i can't find a full band recording of this one)
happiness
time escaping
once a buncha times

"once a buncha times" is unlikely to be on the album though, it was apparently written just before this tour & the album was mostly recorded in june last year. it's also very possible some of these aren't on the album & there's unheard tracks that will be on it - they haven't been playing "little things" live yet. there's also "flower of blood" and another new song with an unknown title but i haven't tracked down recordings.

unreleased songs they played on tour in 2020:
bruiser
shadow too
someone 2
another unknown title

recent new adrianne solo songs:
only place
heavy bend (fan title)

full band versions of adrianne solo songs:
ingdyar
two reverse

^ufo doing the work, big handclaps

will this be their "Physical Graffiti"?

it's going to be their tusk

Thank you for this, ufo! <3

Sorry if this has been addressed, but have they said anything about whether "Little Things/Sparrow" and "Certainty" definitely are or aren't intended for the new one?

also thx a ton for that digging, gives me something to tide me over!

there was a deleted instagram post by the bassist who said they're intended for the new album but that's all

"change" is the next single apparently

just listened to "change" (as I work my way down the list); nice tune. most of these are indeed quite country-ish! (the "blue lighting" vid seems to be down, btw)

"Red Moon" is where they get all the Dead Heads on board...

("blurred view" also down, nuts)

they were the same full show bootleg, there aren't any other videos of those unfortunately

bassist @ Copenhagen show wearing baggy day-glo magenta jumpsuit is next level

they are 100% a hippie band, luckily that hasn't stopped them from making good music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTIzsTv1ENY

here's the studio "change"

tour starting at the end of january, so maybe the album will be out around then, since it's set for early next year

theres a 4-song single on spotify now

That's a grouping of the four recently-released songs.

yes

So far I'm only seeing it on RYM, so grain of salt and all that, but they are showing the forthcoming album title as Dragon New Warm Mountain, I Believe in You. Which is interesting since it's pretty close to lyrics from Adrienne's solo track "anything":

Dragon in the new warm mountain
Didn’t you believe in me?

looks like some portuguese distributor leaked that, also with the detail of feb 11 release date

I’ve had trouble getting into the latest EP. I can’t help but feel like both the songwriting and production have gotten…fuzzier? Like there was an immediacy to Masterpiece and Capacity and still to a lot of UFOF and Two Hands that feels like is getting lost. But I’ll give it more chances and look forward to the double record.

the "change" single having all the previously released new singles on streaming is just a common tactic to boost streaming numbers these days fwiw

don't really think the new songs are less immediate, "change" and "certainty" are both fairly direct folk-rock tracks. "little things" is maybe 'fuzzy' in how its constantly shifting rhythms make it near-impossible to keep track of but it's also one of the best & most immediate things they've ever done. the only one of the new songs i'm not huge on is "sparrow" which is just so repetitive.

The new material lacks the raw-nerve feel of Two Hands (not surprising, the group changes up its sound with each album); and some of the country-folk songwriting does sound more conventional than what we've been accustomed to from them... but I think these songs really will need to be heard in context of the full album.

Also – I was joking about Physical Graffiti, but I do sort of have the sense that we're hearing, say, "Custard Pie" and "By the Seaside," while "Ten Years Gone" is waiting in the wings (in the form of "Time Escaping").

I also think "Red Moon" is gonna be an absolute jam

the raw-nerve feel of Two Hands

"dragon" though!

Yeah - there's yr "In My Time of Dying"

I think I like "Change" the most of the new songs so far (just the studio recordings, haven't delved into the live stuff yet). It's got a magical simplicity, but the cumulative effect of the lyrics is really weighty

Also I love the production--it sounds like they're playing in a circle and I'm standing in the middle

they are 100% a hippie band, luckily that hasn't stopped them from making good music

― Mr. Cacciatore (Moodles), Tuesday, October 5, 2021 5:55 PM (six days ago) bookmarkflaglink

OTM, in the best way possible--I get warm cosmic hug vibes like the best of Hunter/Garcia

I don't like it when she does the frail grandma voice.