The first time I heard Big Thief’s “Masterpiece,” I was floored. I immediately turned to my dad, convinced I’d heard their music somewhere before: a sound that was vaguely reminiscent of some far-off childhood memory, like being half-asleep in the car on the way home. Because of this sound—warm, nostalgic, and yet completely different from the music I had been exposed to—it’s honestly no surprise that the band has quickly climbed the ranks of my Spotify playlists, becoming my top artist. Even now, over three years later, I’m still hooked.

Big Thief’s style is somewhat of a paradox: dissonant yet harmonious melodies, often vague yet intensely sharp and tender, tied together with beautifully woven lyrics. At times, it feels like the music is unraveling, with its blend of raw, folksy instrumentals—or simply floating with its lush, almost ethereal undertones. These elements feel like they shouldn’t work together at all, but somehow manage to, perfectly. The band’s ability to take seemingly clashing sounds and balance them into a fresh yet familiar subset is what sets them apart in this era of experimental music.

With their new album “Double Infinity,” released on Sept. 5, Big Thief once again pushes the boundaries of its sound, stepping into uncharted territory. The album explores a broader, more expansive sonic landscape, layering intricate textures that feel both adventurous and daring. Each of the nine tracks share a sense of bold experimentation in the way they manipulate space, time, and tone—drifting between swells, electronic pulses, and subtle echoes. Every song has its own atmosphere and theme, but all of them feel more centered around message rather than genre, producing an overall sound that can only be described as “Incomprehensible”—a fitting title for the opening song of the album.

The vocalist Adrienne Lenker’s raw, distinctive vocals and thoughtful lyrics make it clear that “Incomprehensible” is a reflection on unconventional life, specifically her own. She remarks on how society often molds us to be a certain way, with her lyrics reading, “‘I’m afraid of getting older,’ that’s what I’ve learned to say / Society has given me the words to think that way.” She contrasts the pressure she feels from these standards with a desire to embrace aging without fear: “So let gravity be my sculptor, let the wind do my hair / Let me dance in front of people without a care.” This song breaks away from the band’s usual voice, lending a more direct nod to the personal growth that Lenker has seen in herself—and as the audience, we can presume that with this song, she hopes to encourage others to do the same.

In “Los Angeles,” the third track on the album, Big Thief plays into a lighter, more hopeful tone with airy, wistful acoustics—a definite shift from the shiny, electronic feel of the earlier songs. The guitar and layered vocals echo their 2022 album “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You,” but it is clear that the band has evolved since. Their messages throughout “Double Infinity,” specifically ones about reflection and human connection, are more refined, while their overall sound is more full-bodied and complete. Personally, I think “Los Angeles” is one of the new album’s best songs, seamlessly blending poetry and storytelling together: “I’ll follow you forever even without looking / You call we come together even without speaking / I can tell what you are thinking even without saying / We dream our dreams together.”

With “All Night All Day,” Big Thief leans further into a more folksy, grounded style, using abstract lyrics to paint a picture reflecting love in its most complex form: “Swallow poison, swallow sugar / Sometimes they taste the same / But I know your love is neither / And love is just a name.” The song touches on love’s duality, and how it can be so many things—an illusion, a name, or simply a feeling, allowing Lenker’s captivating imagery to shine through once again.

It is clear that even as Big Thief steps into new territories, the same nostalgic comfort that initially intrigued me is still present. Lenker’s striking voice, paired with her incredibly honest, thought-provoking lyrics make every song—with their new album being no exception—a deeply satisfying listen.  

I will say that while I do enjoy various genres of music (pop, alternative, rock, shoegaze, dreampop, indie, folk, rap, R&B, and jazz, to name a few) nobody has left quite as big of an impression on me as Big Thief has. Although the newest album is a product of expanding and testing the limits of their music, I would argue that any of their releases are just as—if not more—groundbreaking in comparison. 

Throughout their career and with “Double Infinity,” the band colors their music with purposeful soul and depth, which is rarely seen as done in such an adventurous way in the context of the modern music scene. I am a firm believer that at its core, music is about capturing feelings—and those raw, fleeting moments that are hard to explain are exactly what Big Thief is able to effortlessly thread into its vision without sacrificing appeal.

Music is a form of storytelling, and “Double Infinity” skillfully does just that, and more, by combining elements of rock, alternative, indie, folk, and country music to create an unprecedented sound. Big Thief captures the obvious emotions, but also the strange, unspoken ones; the kind you don’t even realize you’ve felt until you hear them in a song, and they do so in a way that is completely new. By mixing fresh, unheard sounds with a deep understanding of the human experience, we’re able to feel the music as much as we hear it. In “Double Infinity,” Big Thief redraws the boundaries of what is possible while staying true to what makes music so powerful: its ability to express the intangible, the unexplainable, and those feelings that you just can’t put into words.