Adrianne Lenker Balances the Human Condition
Adrianne Lenker performing in January 2024 in New York City. Photo by Gus Philippas, WVUF Public Radio via Flickr
Listening to Adrianne Lenker sing is a unique experience. The indie-folk singer-songwriter explores her mezzo-soprano range with a delicate intensity and intentionality so that the listener goes on a journey with her through the story she tells.
Lenker demonstrated this in her latest solo project, “Bright Future,” featuring some of her latest singles, “Sadness As A Gift,” “Fool” and “Free Treasure.” This record was recorded live to tape, making the sound quality of the instruments and Lenker’s voice far more profound.
Lenker is not unfamiliar with this intimate level of music by any stretch, but this is the record where her skills coalesce into something remarkable. This album is layered but balanced, exploring heartbreak, happiness, childhood and love in 43 minutes.
This complexity is not achieved in a single recording or songwriting session. It takes a life lived and a vulnerability that Lenker has always worked with to tell stories that are unique to hear but speak truth to the human condition.
“Real House” on “Bright Future” is the latest example of this. On top of a simple guitar and piano melody, Lenker talks about childhood moments and relationships through the lens of adulthood. She addresses her relationship with her mother throughout this track and discusses moments of childhood, both serene and troubled. Her voice ebbs and flows through the verses, telling a new story with a specific emotion each time. It’s a song that commands attention to what is being said and acts as an introduction to what this record has to hold.
In an exploration of empathy, “Free Treasure” is a reminder of appreciating warmth when it comes around. The chorus, “You show me understanding, patience and pleasure, time and attention, love without measure,” shows Lenker’s appreciation for the free moments of kindness and warmth. It’s a track that can encapsulate an appreciation for life's quiet, happy moments while juggling some equally heartbreaking concepts in the same tracklist.
“Sadness As a Gift” is part of this balancing act that Lenker creates between the happy/sad that this record works within. This secondary track deals with heartbreak through time progression of changing seasons, while going through a separation that, although difficult, acts as a time to remember the feeling of having been in love at all. It is a smooth, country-inspired track for when reminiscing on love isn’t as painful as it once was as a silver lining to heartbreak.
The closing track, “Ruined,” is one of the most intimate Lenker songs that closes an emotionally balanced record with a deeply sorrowful selection. The lyrics speak of regret in actions not taken, like “I wish I waved when I saw you, I just watched you passing by,” while also juggling the feeling of being reduced in the presence of that person. Lenker sings over a piano track with some shimmering synths behind her voice, creating a spacey atmosphere to highlight her yearnful voice. It is a poignant way to close the record with Lenker’s voice painting a true expression of heartbreak.
There is something to be said about Lenker’s ability to work with concepts that are frequently used in indie and folk songwriting and make them unique. Not to discredit the work of indie musicians today, many records from indie artists today center on consistently sad themes with minimal exploration outside of the realm of being devastated. Lenker is refreshing in the way she is capable of creating a record that flows between emotions and themes that can coexist in the same tracklist. A record can bring highs and lows without sacrificing one for the other.
Lenker is a remarkable talent that comes around generationally. She has consistently created noteworthy music both as a solo artist and with her group Big Thief. This latest work by Lenker culminates years of life experience and talent into a record worth every second of attention.