Laurel Hell; Love And Synths

Sometimes, art comes into your life exactly when it’s supposed to. Exactly when it means to. Mitski found me alone and in love, desperate for affection and hope. I was lost, but she made me feel seen. I have vivid memories of crying to I Bet On Losing Dogs and blasting Your Best American Girl after a date. At the time she was on hiatus, with years of silence between her last show and where I was in life, and no hope of her ever returning to music. Then, on one boring fall day, she was back with one of the most moving, moody songs I’d ever heard, which marked a new era of creativity for Mitski. As sad as her music is, there’s also a magic to it. The burst of energy on Valentine, Texas, the melodies on Love Me More, and the despair of Everyone. The blend of love and synths on Laurel Hell makes the album a beautiful musical experience, and as with most things I love, I want to rip it apart. I want to pick at the album, understand Mitski, and celebrate an album that’s done so much for me emotionally. So no more wind up. Let’s get to the heart of it, and see why Laurel Hell is one of the finest albums Mitski will ever make.

Mitski’s pen game on this album is strong. Lyrically she expresses deep vulnerability, a need for freedom and love in a very hopeless time. She writes of her complicated relationship with music, her heart caught between escapist fantasies and familiar routines.  The album opens with her  indifferent to stepping back into the dark, but a couple tracks in, she delves into the toll her career has taken over the years.  It’s all a trap for her. In a space so familiar she feels worn down by the demand of her music. Past songs like I Don’t Smoke, Liquid Smooth and I Bet On Losing Dogs are just down right sad, their verses full of burning memories and unresolved trauma. It pains me to imagine what kind of life Mitski has lived to be able to write these songs. And it doesn’t end there. She has to hear these songs over and over, memorize them, perform them, refine them, talk about them, and live these memories forever. It’s like ripping open old wounds with a dull knife. Slow, and forever agonizing. 

With powerful synth melodies and strong moments of harmony, it’s easy to feel comforted by the sound of Laurel Hell, but this is far from a joyous experience. It’s a painful return into the void, a journey back into a darkness she cannot escape. This album is a cry for help; Mitski is tired of the life she’s chosen, tired of playing the tortured artist. She’s unable to escape the past; as a new woman she’s haunted by her own ghosts. Yet with this album, she returns unhappily with a new sound and a new outlook. While the album has its sad points, it’s also full with moments of beautiful sonic catharsis, an aspect of joy Mitski isn’t known for. Even in this hell she finds home, expressing her vision with beautiful music videos and experimenting with her sound to match the renewal of these songs. Mitski ultimately creates a return worth waiting for, and carves a new path for herself in her musical career. As fans, we can only hope that it was worth the trouble. On Love Me More and I Guess, she is appreciative and even dependant on the love of her fanbase. Though as her voice fades out on That’s Our Lamp, it feels like she’s disappearing into oblivion again, waving goodbye as she goes to make a new life for herself.

With this album, Mitski returns a transcendent poet, delivering silver melodies to devoted fans and new listeners alike. After listening to this album and watching the music videos, it’s evident why she stepped away from the industry. Being an artist, catering to the masses, performing for crowds, it’s hell. There’s five of you that regularly view my posts and even that kills me. I couldn't imagine being adored by thousands, crushed by their expectations. But just as art begets pain, pain also begets art. With this album, Mitski delivers some of her most beautiful songs alongside whats hands down Patrick Hyland’s best production. Laurel Hell proves to be a moment of catharsis, a magnificent return where she looks within herself to find peace in life. By bringing her sorrow to light, her self awareness adds a new dimension to her artistry, allowing Mitski to connect with her audience on a profound level. With the Laurel Hell Tour long over and no word on whether she’s here to stay, we can only hope that this is Mitski blazing a new path forward, and not her burning bridges with the music industry. Either way, once the last track stops and the ashes settle, she will emerge with a legacy as one of the greatest indie artists of our time, and a savior to the millions who took comfort in her songs.