Mitski — Be the Cowboy ANALYSIS & REVIEW
Published 08/21/2018
This album was a very nice balance of working hard on finding forefront harmonic engagement and trusting the sheer talent at finding melodic tendencies. It was a charming and pleasant listen throughout, and for a 2018 release, it really stands out as some of the best songwriting of the year.
Mitski showed great command over rather daring harmonic structures, giving an otherwise basic pop rock atmosphere an edge of grit and emotional dynamism though the use of borrowed chords like bVI and bIII that were not just sprinkled on, but engrained into each progression. Harmonic color throughout was always a high priority within the song structure and always succeeded quite nicely, no matter what tempo, instrumentation, or lyrical message was involved. The chord movement was always highlighted incredibly well what ultimately gives this music its wings and its ability to surprise. I could’ve gone for a bit more variety in harmonic rhythm throughout, as many songs did tend to have a sameness in the timing of chordal shifts from measure to measure, even when transitioning from verse to chorus. It was still quite a delight to hear such accented colorful harmonic motion.
If that was half of what makes this album an alluring listen, the other half is Mitski’s smooth melodic writing that flowed effortlessly atop of the underlying color. She used great shape for her alto range, emphasizing the singability and easiness of this particular layer while surrounded by the more daring and directive background. It paired very nicely to create one understandable yet exciting flow. The actual intrigue of the created line wavered as the album progressed, which seemingly had to do with its presence and role within the texture. The first half mostly had thick textures that emphasized the harmonic movement, to which the melody was but a cherry on top providing the simplistic contrast. The second half was mostly quieter with less action in the texture, to which the melody became a real focal point and affected the music in a more impactful way. I thought the songs “Why Didn’t You Stop Me?” and “Me and My Husband” were the only two to really combine these different focuses into a single, fully enriching song, and that was done with strong motivic usage, something could’ve been more present throughout. The melodies were very pleasant and rode the waves well, but having a couple more knockout, memorable kernels from chorus repetitions could’ve shot this to the next level.
That leaves me to discuss the most abstract part of the album’s composition, which was the overall sound. In short, Mitski didn’t seem likes she had as confident or as enveloped of an ear for timbral combinations as she did for melodic and harmonic creation. It was only a slight downfall, though, as what was still taken care of to a great degree was intended mood and grounded pleasantry. The core of the sound, which was the electric guitar, the piano, and the drums, were used very well to create appropriate energy levels and atmospheres. The guitar was especially well suited for the gritty, effervescent harmonic layer, intricately slamming through power chords going in surprising directions. The piano contrasted that well towards the end of the album with a more somber yet still harmonically directive touch. What the timbre lacked most was conviction and solidity from textural additions such as a melodic synth or overly present funk bass, which added important linear ideas but in the end weren’t all too grasping of attention. However, it was also a bit of a double-edged sword, as the long moments with only the core instrumentation present got to feel a bit empty and thin, as if something more bright or powerful was needed. Most of the chosen additions simply lacked a congenial tone quality to mesh with the already existing core and mood, however their presence as a basic contrasting entity was still welcome and never distracting.
It’s a strong album, one without huge highlights but not any huge dips. It’s a bit of a smorgasbord of short yet accessible and fun ideas, and it’s definitely worth a listen to those following new music. This is the first album to come out in quite a while that deserves its enthusiasm.
