So, it’s been about 3 years since Mitski released her last album, but she’s still doing some work since then. The single “My Love Mine All Mine” became her first Billboard-charting hit, peaking at #26 and becoming her commercial breakthrough (sometimes Billboard gets it right). However, after that, she’s been attached to write a stage adaptation of The Queen’s Gambit, released a concert film titled Mitski: The Land, and did a cover for Pete Townshend’s “Let My Love Open the Door” for the movie A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (It didn’t do that well, but as interesting fact: Joe Hisaishi, the composer known for scoring for Hayao Miyazaki movies, did the score).
Cut to 3 years later and hey, we got a new album out already, and if you saw the album cover, it might be one of the best and maybe unintentionally hilarious covers of the year so far. Back to the album, singles like “Where’s My Phone” and “I’ll Change for You” were released, and while I’ll admit I didn’t hear anything different than what I’ve known Mitski for, I was still interested to hear how this album turned out.
Well, I’ve been listening to a lot of Mitski albums for the best decade or so, and even if some things about it from the aesthetic in sound or topic change, it’s always going to be an interesting listen. “I’ll Change For You” immediately caught my ear with the bossa nova style and how fantastic Mitski sounds on this. Also, to get this out of the way: yes, Patrick Hyland is still producing the album, like he always has on her previous records. The song reflects on her self-awareness of distant memories and feeling sad about not remembering them as much while someone else (probably the listener) looks at her like, “Um? You OK?”
When you’re the only other keeper
“Where’s My Phone” focuses on mental health struggles from society and trying to peel yourself away from it as it gets worse and worse and worse. Even though Mitski’s stated that she’s not on social media, she still has apps and well, you’ve seen the news a lot about a certain device that still causes your vice.
The start of the album “In a Lake” has this tranquil and intimate sound before going bigger and more expressive half-way in . The song is also a reflection on regrets, consequences, and feeling trapped by the person you used to be, using ‘a small town’ as a reference to how everything is judged harshly and your reputation might be the talk of the town (and not in the good way).
“Cats” goes on about dependence… Yes: a track called “Cats”, named after an animal/pet that sometimes depends on you to feed them and sometimes wants to be left alone when they’re sleeping or if they’re sleeping on you… Anyway, the track goes on about depending on a person so much that you can’t live without them and how it can be a fatal flaw when that person might leave them, almost like when cats sometimes leave you. Sounds bleak, doesn’t it?
Well “Dead Women” might be even more bleak, because this is all about discussing the lack of agency and autonomy of women, mainly through the idea that if she died, how will people describe her in her past — will it be favorable, will it be kind or will it be treated like yesterday’s trash and be forgotten — something that most women, especially in today’s society, often feel in terms of recent events.
While I dream of flying, stab me twenty-seven times
Ransack the house for what you’ll auction, what you’ll keep
Then embalm me up ’cause you’re hosting the viewing
Saying, “She gave her life so we could have her in our dreams”
“She gave her life so we could fuck her as we please”
The majority of the album here is about dependency in relationships, wishing for isolation from people and often dealing with your mental health and psyche to the point where it might drive you insane. From “Instead of Here” dealing with a neurotic person that wants to escape from societal norms, to “Rules” where even though the song structure is simple, it’s mostly trying to appeal to others and be obedient and seeking approval. And yes, sometimes people pleasing is very stressful to someone who has been doing that all of their lives. That also applies to “That White Cat”, where she once talked about a white cat in her neighborhood marking her home, then it’s that cat’s house now and she’s cool with that (now I wonder if the cats walking around my place will claim my home as well). Now we go from cats to dogs with “Charon’s Obol,” as the track is about paying tributes to the dead by feeding the hounds of the dead women, calling back to the song “Dead Women” and showing some kinship with these dogs for the loss of their owners. The title references the Greek deity Charon, who is said to ferry souls across the river Styx to the underworld. ‘Obols’ are an ancient coin, offered by the families of the bereaved as payment or tribute to Charon for ferrying their loved ones home to the underworld.
“Lightning” ends the album with her wishing for a new perspective in the afterlife as they were approaching death, and it goes out on a somber, poignant note.
You’re thinking that after she had a mainstream breakthrough with “My Love Mine All Mine,” you’d figure that this would be more accessible to those audiences… yeah, no, that didn’t happen. Everything on this album is still very dense and like previous Mitski albums, it’s one of those records you have to take your time going in with the lyrics and everything. It doesn’t seem like much but what little was said does have an impact on them. The sound aesthetic is still good coming from her, and there are some different genres in the mix from bossa nova to rock and Americana roots in there (and maybe a bit of country but take that with a grain of salt). Honestly, I knew what to expect from a Mitski album at this point but I still try to understand what it’s trying to convey, and I do get the majority of it, adding up to another solid record from her.
FINAL VERDICT: Nothing’s going to happen to me… because I actually like the album. HEY! I see you behind me with that bat! DROP IT!!!
Nothing’s About to Happen to Me is on Dead Oceans and is available on physical formats (CD, vinyl, cassette), digital download and on streaming services. Link is right here.
