Album Review

Adrianne Lenker - Bright Future

Name: Adrianne Lenker - Bright Future Review
Item: Bright Future
Rating: 4
Author: Ciaran Picker

A simply beautiful record.

Label: 4AD

Released: 22nd March 2024

Words: Ciaran Picker

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Probably best known as the lead singer for cult favourites Big Thief, Adrianne Lenker is back with a seventh solo album, 'Bright Future'. An embodiment of haunting fragility and untold depth, Lenker maintains her position as one of the most distinct and prolific voices in modern music.

Lenker's achingly stunning voice shines across this record, nowhere more clearly than in the bravely quiet opener 'Real House' and shattering lead single 'Ruined'. Both tracks are stripped back, letting Lenker's inbuilt talent for weaving a narrative take control and pull you in close.

Always on the verge of cracking open and breaking apart, Lenker treads the line between vulnerability and heartbreak, telling stories about the oft-unspoken danger of being in love, whether it's with a partner ('Evol'), family ('Free Treasure'), or the memory of a feeling ('No Machine').

'Bright Future' is a southward step from the New England alt-rock sound of Big Thief, journeying into Americana roots that sprout country branches and bloom trad-folk flowers. By sonically stepping into more traditional waters, this album spreads joy through simplicity, with the tracks mostly composed of vocal, guitar, drum, violin, and piano. 'Sadness As A Gift' transports you to a ranch in Nebraska, sat around a campfire, whilst the jaunty violin lines of 'Fool' intimate the same location a few hours after the Bourbon starts flowing.

Adrianne Lenker has always been magnetically understated, both as frontperson in Big Thief and in her solo work, and this LP is no different. Upfront lyricism, traditional but masterful soundscapes, and an ambience that feels like home. This is a simply beautiful record.

Adrianne Lenker - Bright Future

Julia Cumming - Julia

Lime Garden - Maybe Not Tonight

Gretel - Squish

Tomora - Come Closer

The Itch - It's The Hope That Kills You

Arlo Parks - Ambiguous Desire

Holly Humberstone - Cruel World

My New Band Believe - My New Band Believe

Good Kid - Can We Hang Out Sometime?

RAYE - This Music May Contain Hope

Julia Cumming - Julia

Lime Garden - Maybe Not Tonight

Gretel - Squish

Tomora - Come Closer

The Itch - It's The Hope That Kills You

Arlo Parks - Ambiguous Desire

Holly Humberstone - Cruel World

My New Band Believe - My New Band Believe

Good Kid - Can We Hang Out Sometime?

RAYE - This Music May Contain Hope

Julia Cumming - Julia

Lime Garden - Maybe Not Tonight

Gretel - Squish

Tomora - Come Closer

The Itch - It's The Hope That Kills You

Arlo Parks - Ambiguous Desire

Holly Humberstone - Cruel World

My New Band Believe - My New Band Believe

Good Kid - Can We Hang Out Sometime?

RAYE - This Music May Contain Hope

Julia Cumming - Julia

Lime Garden - Maybe Not Tonight

Gretel - Squish

Tomora - Come Closer

The Itch - It's The Hope That Kills You

Arlo Parks - Ambiguous Desire

Holly Humberstone - Cruel World

My New Band Believe - My New Band Believe

Good Kid - Can We Hang Out Sometime?

RAYE - This Music May Contain Hope

Julia Cumming - Julia

Lime Garden - Maybe Not Tonight

Gretel - Squish

Tomora - Come Closer

The Itch - It's The Hope That Kills You

Arlo Parks - Ambiguous Desire

Holly Humberstone - Cruel World

My New Band Believe - My New Band Believe

Good Kid - Can We Hang Out Sometime?

RAYE - This Music May Contain Hope

Julia Cumming - Julia

Lime Garden - Maybe Not Tonight

Gretel - Squish

Tomora - Come Closer

The Itch - It's The Hope That Kills You

Arlo Parks - Ambiguous Desire

Holly Humberstone - Cruel World

My New Band Believe - My New Band Believe

Good Kid - Can We Hang Out Sometime?

RAYE - This Music May Contain Hope