How to Listen to Mitski
Those who know me well, or at the very least, those who have been in close proximity to me for the past month, probably know of my love of Japanese-American Indie singer Mitski. I haven’t been listening to her music for very long, only for about a year, but she’s become my second-most listened-to artist on Spotify, only beat out by MARINA. Last October I managed to get tickets to see her in concert February 21st, AKA Adrienne Belser bought me a ticket and I paid her back.
There’s a whole slew of reasons why I like her music. Her lyrics are poetic and intimate and speak a vast depth of her lived experience. She ranges from simple instrumentals such as solo piano to using lots of synths and unexpected instrumentation to underscore her incredible vocals. So now I’m going to give a “listen order”, for people interested in listening to her music. The typical order that myself and many others tend to follow is starting with the more upbeat songs, and progressing down the rabbit hole of depression that much of her music is notable for.
Be the Cowboy (2018) - This is quintessential Mitski, containing a good majority of her hits. Washing Machine Heart, Nobody, and Me and My Husband. In my opinion, the sleeper gems of this album are Remember My Name and Why Didn’t You Stop Me?, although some of my friends would argue for me to say Pearl and Pink in the Night instead. Starting with this album gives you the best representation of current Mitski and the evolution of her music.
Bury Me at Makeout Creek (2014) - Contrasting against Be the Cowboy’s plethora of upbeat songs, Bury Me at Makeout Creek contains largely powerful, somber songs that make up the “other half” of Mitski’s musical style. Francis Forever, I Will, Last Words of a Shooting Star, and First Love/Late Spring are filled with yearning and beautifully poetic lyrics.
Puberty 2 (2016) - While not my favorite album overall, Puberty 2 continues the trend Bury Me at Makeout Creek started, while still keeping its own identity; It takes more inspiration from folk music and I’d describe its tone as more wistful compared to its predecessor. My favorites are Your Best American Girl and Once More To See You, while I Bet on Losing Dogs might be the most recognizable from the album.
Laurel Hell (2022) - Released February 4th of this year, Laurel Hell mixes together many aspects of Mitski’s ever-evolving style but brings its own spin. It contains many more dance tunes that were more present in Laurel Hell, but continues with the classically somber, heart wrenching ballads that she built her career on. It’s a solid album, with my favorite tracks being the upbeat The Only Heartbreaker and I Guess, the song that makes me want to cry every time I hear it. Other songs I adore on the album were Should’ve Been Me, Love Me More, and Heat Lightning.
Retired from Sad, New Career in Business (2013) - Honestly, Mitski’s most underrated album by far. This was her senior project while in college, complete with an entire orchestra supporting her. This is where “Mitski” as we know her really starts to appear. Strawberry Blonde is my favorite track, with I Want You as a close second. Goodbye, My Danish Sweetheart is an incredible honorable mention.
Lush (2012) - Mitski’s debut album; containing largely short songs, save for Bag of Bones, these songs tend to resonate with me the least, especially as her first works. It lacks the sense of identity that I love about Mitski’s later work, but it’s still fantastic. Pearl Diver is my favorite on the album, it’s eerie and haunting tone gives it an air of mystery that I really enjoy.