By Ella Chan
On September 15, 2023, indie folk rock artist Mitski released her album ‘The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We‘. The album is described by Mitski as her, “most American album,” discussing themes about the unavoidable destruction and difficulty of love. Love for the world, the self, or others. The 32-minute alternative indie album is filled with emotion through lyrical and melodic methods it sinks listeners into various, meaningful emotions.
In the album there is a total of 11 songs:
- Bug Like an Angel | 3:32
- Buffalo Replaced | 2:40
- Heaven | 3:44
- I Don’t Like My Mind | 2:25
- The Deal | 3:52
- When Memories Snow | 1:44
- My Love Mine All Mine | 2:18
- The Frost | 2:48
- Star | 2:59
- I’m Your Man | 3:30
- I Love Me After You | 2:49
The first song of her album, ‘Bug Like an Angel‘, talks about religious themes specifically about self-destruction and evil.
Right at the start, the song talks about a “bug like an angel stuck to the bottom of my glass,” with the line implying a sort of fight with the devil. A general symbol of wickedness and temptation.
The song is generally a raw and real truth, showing this theme throughout the song and describing mistakes that everyone makes.
The second song ‘Buffalo Replaced‘ is a lyrical song creating beautiful imagery portraying themes of transformation and back and forth between the past and present.
Symbolisms such as a freight train that represents unstoppable forces of change tie the themes of this song charmingly ties the song together.
‘Heaven‘ is a ballad talking about the joys and flaws of living under the same roof with a partner. In simple words, it’s a love song.
The lyrics of the songs are heavily poetic, meaning they can all be interpreted differently and are to some degree quite confusing.
‘I Don’t Like My Mind‘ is a clear representation of how the narrator, possibly Mitski herself, doesn’t like being left alone with her thoughts.
The song talks about coping mechanisms that later could create yet another bad memory.
‘The Deal’ narrates an eerie midnight walk where a “deal” was made with an unseen force of sorts, offering their soul in hopes of an escape from an inner battle with themselves.
The narrator of the story eventually accepts the price of losing her voice and freedom.
The song ‘When Memories Snow‘ talks about the storyteller dealing with a lot of memories. Memories were compared to snow that would cover someone’s driveway, saying she needed to get the snow out.
She needs to deal with the memories and move on with her life.
‘My Love Mine All Mine’ is a symbolization of eternal love. The narrator speaks to the moon hoping to send her love to shine down forever.
The narrator hopes their enduring love will continue to protect and nurture their significant other even after death.
‘The Frost‘ describes feelings of loneliness. It’s somewhat of a metaphor for life feeling dry or cold, and lacking a sort of connection. A loss that’s felt like after a tragic event or loss, heavily speaking of a sense of isolation.
‘Star’ was one of two singles that were released in August before the full album, with the other early released single being ‘Heaven’.
Both songs also happen to be love songs. The narrator refers to their love as a star and says they, “just see it shining” and, “it’s traveled very far”.
Just like the song ‘Heaven’, the lyrics can be interpreted differently, and for the listener to decide.
The song ‘I’m Your Man‘ has the narrator explaining their regret and sense of doom in their relationship, filled with deception and betrayal.
The lyrics express a fear of loss yet with an understanding of the deep love received from their partner.
The final song of the album, ‘I Love Me After You‘, talks about the narrator finding feelings of self-love after their ended relationship.
The narrator finally feels confident and enjoys her own company, the light at the end of the dark tunnel.
Mitski’s effect on the indie music scene has greatly improved the community and brought people together. Her current and past lyrical journeys have sent many listeners on a journey they didn’t know they needed to experience.
The story the album brings listeners is surely an enjoyable and memorable one.
Isabella Chan
Isabella (Ella) Chan ('26) is a first year arts and entertainment journalist for the Redwood Gigantea. You can reach out to her by emailing at isabe.ch5254@vusd.us
Tags: Buffalo Replaced, Bug Like an Angel, Heaven, I Don't Like My Mind, I Love Me After You, I'm Your Man, indie, indie folk rock, indie rock, Mitski, Mitski album, My Love Mine All Mine, New Album, new music, rangers, Redwood, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, redwood rangers, rhs, songs, Star, The Deal, The Frost, The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We, visalia ca, When Memories Snow