Shining a Light on Big Thief

By Surya Vaidy

Big Thief makes the type of music that makes you want to smile and cry in the same breath. Adrianne Lenker’s delicate vocals are joined by Buck Meek on guitar, Max Oleartchik on bass, and James Krivechenia on drum to create one of the most stunning groups in indie music. The Brooklyn-based band released its first album, Masterpiece, in 2016 to extremely positive acclaim, following with Capacity in 2017 and then U.F.O.F in 2019. The latter two also received positive reviews. 

I was introduced to Big Thief in my junior year of high school, and I’ve loved them ever since. Their music pulsed with something. It grabs you by the collar, it shakes you. Perhaps it’s Lenker’s penchant for writing lyrics that mix dreamy folk metaphors and simple, brutal realities. Maybe it’s the rhythm of Big Thief’s music, swaying from crushing, piano and guitar ballads, to electric heartland rock. It’s extremely personal music. I’m not ashamed to say I’ve cried listening to Big Thief. 

With the release of the fourth album, Two Hands, in October 2019, the band has established themselves as master storytellers. There are pervasive themes through all these stories. Tragedy, loss, grief, heartbreak, loneliness, family, hope, love, discovery, and healing tremor through the haze of guitar chords, piano, and drums. Lenker’s voice hovers over everything, mist-like in presence, but never weak. “And my brain is like an orchestra, playing on, insane,” She sings on the song Mary. “Will you love me like you loved me in the January rain?”

Tragic, yet happy. Heartbreaking, yet bold. Hollow, yet absolutely sincere. An intricate paradox. 

This is Big Thief.

Here’s a Playlist to Get You Started: