Album Review: U.F.O.F.

photo by Michael Buisha

In the one-month wake of Big Thief's latest release, their third studio album, U.F.O.F., I would like to take a moment to talk about the band's direction with this album, track by track commentary, and what it might mean for their future albums.

First off, as I started listening to this album upon its release, I wasn't quite sure what I thought at first, yet I find myself compelled to continue listening to the album, over and over again. Big Thief is one my favorite names in the indie scene, and I hoped this album wouldn't disappoint. A little less reliance on distinctive, solid melodies than prior albums, it allows the melody to play and wander. Exploratory in nature, which could be the overall tone of the album.

Without anymore delay, let's get into the album.

photo by Dustin Condren

1. Contact
Great start to the album, atmospheric and surreal, perhaps one of the most polished tracks they've put out (polished meaning following the conventions of modern music). One of my favorite tracks on the album, especially with the inclusion of the Pink Floyd-esque shrieking that introduces a guitar solo with a tone I could only describe as gut-wrenching. A metamorphic, cosmic song. Simple as far as music complexity goes, but a great execution. Proof that sometimes less is more when it comes to a riff. It just makes me want more of the screaming and guitar.

2. U.F.O.F
Fleetwood-Mac-esque in places, or perhaps a soft Yes, low-key Yes. Indie Yes. Great direction in indie prog full of space themes. Another song talking about a female character and bad dreams. If Big Thief is good at one thing, it's building a story by giving us tiny parts of it. A driving song, led by another simple, yet effective riff. Fun chord progression in the chorus, and a break that shows how one can take a simple idea and expand it to be more.

3. Cattails
Familiar comfort that Big thief possesses. Feels like something that could have belonged on Masterpiece. Reminds me of summer when I was a kid - makes it feel like you're experiencing the summer of someone else, but in a good way. Excellent story-telling, as always. Makes me think of gold, wheat, leaf dapple, sunlight, dirt on your hands, tall grass, tea in the garden, linens on clothesline, childhood melancholy, best friends, great-grandmother's backyard. Introduction of another character, named Charlotte. Bluegrass feel to the guitar and banjo picking, simple, rambling drum line that seems to follow its own groove. A little repetitive, and it feels like the song should be ending when you're only halfway through. Not a bad track, but not my favorite either.

4. From
Wandering track, makes me think of wandering a dirt road. It feels slightly aimless, but could be intentional. Once again, great story-telling, full of heartbreak and longing. When I first listened to this track, I felt my appreciation for it would grow as I listened more. I was correct, the mellow feel of the song grew on me the more I listened, and I understand it more as a lament and a prayer. An earnest little song.

5. Open Desert
Great interplay between drums and guitars, syncopation. One of my other favorite tracks on the album. I don't know what all I can say about this track other than I love it.

6. Orange
Let me talk for a moment or two about perhaps my favorite track on the album. While it retains a lot of Big Thief's previous sound from their first two albums, I find myself in love with the chord progression and chorus of this song. I often find that I fall for songs that either sound like something I would write, or are songs I would like to learn how to play and sing. This song just sounds comfortable to sing, and upon sitting down with my guitar, I was correct. Even after listening to it several times, I finally discovered how the song manages to be so effective: the employment of Adrianne Lenker's voice accompanied with a single acoustic guitar. It sounds so earnest and honest.

7. Century
A mellow little song, and what I would consider to be another of the more polished tracks on the album. The bass really finds its room to shine in this track, which is a really enjoyable line that plays between the rhythm guitar and the vocals. The guitar solo comes in, mellow, and makes me think of something John Frusciante might have written in one of his solo projects. The lead guitar and bass feel like they become sentient entities.

8. Strange
Once again, the bass takes the spotlight in this little roaming track with a fun groove that the guitar and drums fall easily and comfortably into. It sounds like something that they would have had fun recording. Even with more regulated instruments than prior tracks, they manage to maintain the ethereal atmosphere of the album in the last third part of the song, with whispy vocals overlaid windy effects.

9. Betsy
Introduction of another character, and a much deeper vocal exploration from Adrianne Lenker than we typically hear. Unfortunately, not much can be said about this track. It employs a lot of earlier tricks, with guitar riffs that sound like prior tracks, and lyrics that don't build too much of a picture. I would say it's the weakest on the album

10. Terminal Paradise
A song that sounds like it could be about someone with cancer, a beautiful, yet sad song. One of those songs I feel people would get different meanings from, based on their life experiences. Not much to say aside from it being a solid little track with a lot of feelings.

11. Jenni
An extremely sensual song, not only in the lyrics, but the overall tone of the song. Heavy distortion on the guitar and driving drums, it sounds like earlier Big Thief. We can see snippets of where Big Thief came from, but also where they're going, with the introduction of ethereal sounds and progressive ideas in terms of melody and song structure. You can feel the exploration on this album, but unlike Jack White's Boarding House Reach, it feels intentional, like it has purpose and direction. Like they had an idea they wanted to explore and pursued it, rather than stumbling across things in jam sessions and trying to turn incomplete ideas into a song.

12. Magic Dealer
Primarily a capella track, exhibition of Adrianne's voice, the lyrics further questions about what this album is about. It sounds like it's about a death of a friend or a lover. Opens with an extraterrestrial feel, closes with a blatant manifestation of that, with UFO sounds and noises that are only described as alien.

So what does this album mean to me? Overall, it feels like it deals with feeling your feelings. Hinting at trauma and pain, but never directly addressing it, allowing space to feel emotions, then letting them go. Much like one of the tenements of yoga, the experience and passing of emotions. The album handles intimacy with pain, but not too much, seeking and finding a balance between revealing and concealing. Personally, I find it difficult to listen to a Big Thief album from start to finish in one sitting, because it gets to be a little overwhelming. They seek to do something with their music, and they do a fantastic job with it.

With this album, it's clear to see that Big Thief is in the business of taking their music to new heights, literally and metaphorically. They took some risks with this latest installation in their discography, and I think it bodes well for the future of indie prog.

Until next time, my friends, don't be afraid to explore new music. You never know what you'll find.

What are your thoughts on the album? Feel free to leave a comment!

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