Emma Laus, Staff Writer
On March 20, Adrianne Lenker released her fifth studio album, aptly titled Bright Future. As a whole, the album radiates a unique sense of hope. The quiet intimacy of the recordings—you can hear her breathe between lines and softly count in—paired with gentle background vocals, create a comforting atmosphere. It reminded me of listening to songs sung around a campfire.
The album consistently references nature; Lenker sings of rivers, apple trees, raspberries, fields, and willow branches, acknowledging the changing seasons at the time of the album’s release. Spring is commonly viewed as a period of regrowth and hope, and to me, her lyrics serve as a reminder of all that is to come in the following months—beauty that can seem impossible during the gray repetition of winter.
This isn’t to say the subject matter is cheerful, exactly. In the album opener “Real House,” slow piano accompanies Lenker’s lilting voice which finds unconventional rhythm as she dips in and out of soprano. Addressed to her mother, the song yearns for the simplicity of the past and cites childhood fear and loss, through which she was guided by her mother’s comforting presence. Its retrospective nature sets the tone for the rest of the album, which focuses heavily on both sweet and bitter memories.
“Real House” is followed by the album’s second song, “Sadness As A Gift.” After Lenker counts in, the song comes to life with a burst of violin and guitar. This song is a personal favorite; the dipping wail of the violin perfectly mirrors the lyrics, which are both hopeful and crushing.
In many songs, Lenker sings each line so that it bleeds into the next, creating a unique flow of continuity. This is particularly apparent in the song “Free Treasure,” where she often doesn’t finish a line before starting the next.
Notably, the album includes an alternate version of the song “Vampire Empire,” which was originally released by Lenker’s band Big Thief. After the song premiered in concert, many fans were disappointed by Big Thief’s recorded rendition. However, as a diehard defender of that version, I didn’t love the one on “Bright Future.” It feels more urgent and stands out from the other tracks through its prominent instrumentals which create a slightly jarring effect.
On the track “Evol,” Lenker shows off her songwriting ability by playing around with the sounds and spellings of words. In true “Harness Your Hopes” fashion, Lenker attaches a double meaning to almost every word, which can be easy to miss without reading along. “Dream is maerd, I’m marred in your mind/four words: forwards, can’t we rewind,” she pleads.
Another example of wordplay can be found on the track “Donut Seam,” which references the song’s lyrics, “don’t it seem.” To be so honest, I don’t know why she felt the need to name the song this but I don’t feel perceptive enough to question her choices, so I’ll just leave it at that.
I also won’t question her title–if Adrianne Lenker says the future is bright, then the future is bright! In this album, hope doesn’t operate in a blindly optimistic sense, but rather as the acceptance that sorrow and peace can exist simultaneously. The future becomes the past every moment and so this acceptance may be our only chance to make the most of it.
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