Written by Kayalani DeGrave
With the U.S. tour of Bright Future beginning on June 9th, 2024, it seems only fitting to discuss Adrianne Lenker’s newest solo studio record, an album rooted in emotional intimacy, storytelling, and carefully crafted poetic lyrics. You may know the 32-year-old indie-folk artist as the lead vocalist and songwriter for the well-acclaimed band, Big Thief, but her solo work holds just as much artistic merit. Recorded in autumn of 2022 at the Double Infinity Studio in the woods, Bright Future articulates a plethora of experiences and sensations to be explored.
I myself am a sucker for a classic folk sing along, but to be entirely honest, it’s been a long time since I’ve truly sat down and listened to work of this nature in its purest form. Like many, I listen to music while on my walk to class, when getting ready in the morning, or aggressively typing away essay after essay. But today, I decided to leave all that behind and admire Adrianne Lenker’s art as all music should be. So that’s what I did: slipped my phone away, with nothing but open ears and Lenker’s soft voice to accompany my thoughts.
After a few listens and a plentiful amount of lyrical analyses, I have carefully crafted my reactions, curiosities, and adoration for Bright Future track by track.
Real House
Lenker opens the album with flatted chords gently pressed on the piano’s keys, an introduction so raw and intimate that we can hear her chair rock into place and her breath as she prepares to sing childhood memories addressed to her mother. She begins in the present, embodying a guileless sense of self, claiming “That love is all I want / I’m a child humming,” but notably concludes in the past with “I never saw you cry […] And then I saw you cry,” demonstrating how pain can bring along age. From the sincerity of playing with branches to putting down a beloved pet, we can hear the childlike innocence introduced in this track slowly slip away, forcing us as the audience to also grow up in just under six minutes. Through its playfulness, hardships, and heartbreak, “Real House” is a beautiful song to reflect upon our own childhoods, with the underscoring repetitive in nature, but the stories true to heart.
Sadness As a Gift
A stark transition from the previous song’s delicacy, this next track and the second released single radiates comfort and positivity despite the strummed through stories and containing “sadness” in the title. Following a folky fiddled interlude, Lenker shares the end of a close relationship but the imprint that they share with professions such as “you showed me a place I’ll find even when I’m old.” “Sadness As a Gift” displays affection for the past and its effect on her life, presenting a hopeful and honestly refreshing take on your average breakup song, replacing common angst with reflection.
Fool
A lighthearted melody circles through this next song, with staccato and palm-muted pickings fading to spotlight Lenker’s voice. Throughout the song, her words resemble the melodic and repetitious guitar line, deciding whether she should be just friends or more with the song’s recipient. She draws on specific people around her and the milestones that they are achieving, but ultimately indicates that this relationship is her milestone. In the midst of everyone else’s day to day lives, “I’ll love you till I die / Oh, what more can I possibly say?” The playfulness and relatability of a busy mind make this song one of the record’s standouts.
No Machine
“No Machine” is a tender and wholesome musical love letter full of admiration and wonder. Lenker provides the adoration that so many only dream of receiving, all through simple, yet poetic words of acclaim. With lines such as “A needle shining like a diamond in the desert” and “To the ocean of your love, I am a river,” the sweetness and sincerity of this track cannot go unnoticed. The slight twang of her voice resonates an earnest homage to her love, for whom she repeats, “Don’t know what I’d do without you.” Arguably one of the most poetic pieces of Bright Future, “No Machine” is one that I keep coming back to for its creativity and warm emotional appeal.
Free Treasure
Similar to the preceding track, “Free Treasure” recalls all that Lenker has learned from the subject: “love without measure.” The storytelling in this tune stylistically coincides with “No Machine,” for which my friend even referred to them as “sister songs.” While similar, this song’s outro never fails to put a smile on my face with its bright and major key, acting as closure to prepare for a vibe shift to follow suit.
Vampire Empire
Originally a Big Thief released hit, “Vampire Empire” is full of intensely felt emotion, heavy drums, and a bouncy pre-chorus with countless “ill” rhymes. This track has sparked online (or shall I say Tik Tok) debate over the live vs recorded version and fan favorite lyric changes. However, Lenker’s solo version leans into an acoustic feel, replacing the original angst with raw and steady vocals. While I can’t determine if this acoustic sound personally precedes the iconicness of Big Thief’s, this version of “Vampire Empire” undoubtedly fits into the vibe of Bright Future, while maintaining the fast pace and authentic storytelling of a toxic relationship.
Evol
What does “evol” mean? A seemingly thoughtful assertion of “Love spells evol backwards, people” is quickly refuted with “words backwards, are lethal.” With a mysterious, eerie underscore and accusatory lyrics, all of the sweetness present in the album’s beginning are forgotten as we are transported into Lenker’s pain. She provides a warning that “The giver takes, the taker gives,” as we enter a new phase of a relationship journey. I must admit that this track didn’t stand out to me upon my first listen, but as I continue to pay more attention, my admiration only grows for the intense emotion that Lenker is able to pack into four minutes, a final sustained note ringing as my thoughts recollect.
Candleflame
This track resembles many modern songs with a tag of “Cryin’ over a candleflame.” Being one of the shortest and lyrically simplest tracks, this song mostly acts as a transition from the listening perspective. In contrast to the average piano ballad, “Candleflame” continues bright folky picking beneath such somber words, solidifying Lenker’s musical style in a sea of present day similarity.
Already Lost
This next tune begins with heard conversing before a “1, 2, 3, 4” to cue in Lenker and backing vocals. The standout line “The mirror is your eye on mine” professes figurative desire for this person through and throughout. “Already Lost” again feels classically folk, simple in melody, but overall a feel good song to accompany the album.
Cell Phone Says
A soft guitar melody resembling a “Can’t Help Falling in Love” recognizable perfect fifth calls upon emotional fondness despite distance. With “The July in winter and September spring,” Lenker’s poetic writing skills continue to be highlighted. “Cell Phone Says” is slow and gentle with purpose, making it easily connectable to any listener, static filling the sound as the final chord hangs in the air.
Donut Seam
Sung alongside Nick Hakim, “Donut Seam” is a reviving shift from the most recent listens. Consistent tight knit harmonies and campfire styled strumming create a sense of warmth to the curiosity found throughout the track. Questions like “Don’t it seem like a good time for kissing?” demonstrate Lenker’s affectionate tone, with swift lines drawing on a sense of unforeseen existentialism. “The whole world is dying” causes me to ponder the true meaning of her songs. Perhaps, they are about more than just contemplation and romance. Perhaps they offer larger commentary as well. I can’t help but consider Lenker’s motivation for beginning this album, a wide mix of contentment, wonder of the world, and love intertwining her thoughts.
Ruined
As the first single released, yet final impression, “Ruined” perfectly closes and contradicts everything heard in the past 39 minutes. As a passion-filled piano ballad unlike the guitar centered majority, this song easily feels different than the rest of the album. It is wise, reflective, and personally aware. “Ruined” continues personal narrative sparking connection, but also contains the most repetition of the entire record, ultimately conveying an easily identifiable cycle of thoughts. While still sad, with lyrics like “Can’t get enough of you / You come around, I’m ruined,” this final track provides closure through the intricacies, insistence, and intimacy of love and loss.
As an artist with such an extensive musical history, Lenker truly used this album as a personal retelling of her own pain, joy, and childhood memories, in a way that feels openly authentic. Bright Future remains personal track after track, with background noises easily heard and mostly raw, stripped-down production co-produced by Lenker herself. Due to this, I can’t help but feel a part of the recording session as I listen to her musical diary, gaining a sense of respect and even bond, a power that only select musicians can hold.
With a soon embarking U.S. tour through the fall, Lenker will continue reaching far. In fact, on June 15th and 16th, she will be performing right here in Los Angeles at The United Theater on Broadway. So, if this review seemed anywhere near your taste, I’d highly encourage attendance as it’s one thing to hear an album, but another to experience it. I look forward to soon seeing, listening, and fulfilling the wonder of Adrianne Lenker’s Bright Future live in music’s purest form.
Listen to Bright Future here:
