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American-Japanese singer and songwriter Mitski is no stranger to emotional albums. “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We (TLIIASAW),” her seventh studio album, focuses on the American and delivers a pseudo-country album with a softer feel than what fans may be used to. Mitski directly stated this new album is her “most American album,” to date, further supported by the recording studio being located in Nashville, an iconic American city well known for its music.
Focusing on the aspects of love within the album, there are many tracks that hone directly into the emotion. Most prevalent and obvious is “My Love All Mine,” in which we hear the graceful chorus, “‘Cause my love is mine, all mine — nothing in this world belongs to me but my love.” With a beautiful instrumental to pair with sweet, heartfelt lyrics, the production by Patrick Hyland not only matches the emotional level of the lyrics, but also keeps the country feel to the track. When it comes to “I Love Me After You,” Mitski reminds us that love isn’t always happy, and how moving forward alone after a relationship is a high-powered experience. Shown through the lyrics, “How I love me after you,” Mitski describes how love has been placed within herself rather than the “you” described in this song, as well as, “King of all the land; I’m king of all the land,” representing the gratifying feeling of moving forward with oneself and finding peace.
The project as a whole further shows Mitski’s talent as not just a singer, but a writer as well. This shines strong on tracks like “The Deal,” a complex story about realizing that in order to feel the highs of happiness, one must experience the lows of sadness in their life as well. This message is communicated beautifully through the image of a late-night walk, paired with a talking bird, in which the deal is made, which causes the realization.
This album, while sounding melancholic and somber, shines stronger than Mitski’s last release, “Laurel Hell.” With tracks lined with story and emotion, paired with the beautiful choral and orchestral accompaniment to Mitskis vocals on each track, this project is well-deserving of an 8.5/10.
“The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We” is available to stream on all listening platforms.
