Big Thief's Big Top 5
Simulation Swarm - [Extravagant Escapade of Eccentric Energy]
The silence that preludes the play button is only fleeting as the catchy chimes of acoustic jams serenade the room; Big Thief has now uttered their presence in this groovy track that stands in third place in their most-listened-to Spotify repertoire.
Simulation Swarm is an echo of scruffy and nearly nonsensical lines that, while pertaining to a deeper meaning about the singer’s brother in a hospital, might as well be left to interpretation for many listeners to fill in the void of Lenker’s cryptic lyrics. Listening to this track, however, exuberates a sense of pure funk that no other song does for me—the kind that makes you want to run barefoot on the wet grass on a cloudy morning and let out shrieks of laughter. It’s the type of song that gives you the feeling of kicking and shouting absolute drivel where no one can hear because you’ve finally broken free from the simulation. The whimsical mayhem appears everlasting as we all try to dance in the “belly of the empty night.”
Velvet Ring - [Melancholic Melodies of a Morphing Monogamy]
Like Simulation Swarm, Velvet Ring bombards you with another guitar opening, but, this time, it’s wholly angelic, preceded by a wave of descending notes that are filled with soft bittersweetness.
This song's lines can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. One reading is that this is a story of a couple, Ben and Eliza, whose relationship spirals downwards into a muddy string of murderous activities, with Eliza being the kingpin and Ben being the bystander who loves every part of their complex and tangled marriage. Now that Eliza’s pregnant, however, it's up to Ben to provide, to kill, in an act of survival for their family. Together, they’ve been through heaven and hell, with their love being “thicker than a velvet ring.”
The complexity of the hidden plot bleeds into the composition of the song, as its background guitar paints an ethereal world, and its soothing vocals shift the setting into an uncertain ambience of melancholy. Velvet Ring doesn’t make you feel joy nor sorrow; rather, it’s a combination of both and neither—it’s powerful.
Not - [Fierce Following of a Faraway Feeling]
“Not” is dirtier, messier, to listen to. It’s a song of unbridled emotions being released from a bottled state.
The lyrics are gritty; they can potentially be translated to a thirsty desire for an emotional link that transcends the universe. This is a song about searching for something more burning, more compelling, than what the material and physical world can ever offer.
It’s not “the clouds in space” nor “the wet of the dew,” but a deep essence hidden between the meat and bone that confirms us to be real creatures rather than drifting ideas. The mystical beauty of living can either be truly romantic or utterly frightening, which could turn this into a song of existentialism—a disassociation with everything around you and not having the vocabulary to truly describe this indescribable sensation that you’re searching for.
The vehement mood this song brings makes it a vicious listen. It feels punk; there’s a rebellious feeling that this song especially strikes. A feeling of being purely unsatisfied with the reality we’ve been given and of boldly and unabashedly hungering for something with true substance behind it. We shouldn’t be punished for this craving because it’s a desire that returns us to a form aligned with the universe and a yearning to be human once more.
Sparrow - [Lovely Lullaby for a Lavish Lull]
Being the sixth song of the Dragon in the New Warm Mountain album, “Sparrow” sits as my second favorite in the Big Thief lineup. In what might be one of their most poetic songs, Sparrow acts as a clear-cut retelling of the story of Adam and Eve with the explicit verses of “Eve sucked the juice from the apple,” and “Adam came trembling inside her.”
While the narrative is a tragedy of the fall of mankind, the flowery lyrics, paired with Lenker’s soft voice, romanticize this event as a profoundly incorporeal and spiritual moment.
With this being an ancient tale of two bygone individuals in the mysterious, picturesque Garden of Eden, the song doesn’t help but feel “earthy” to listen to; it releases a synergy between mother nature and its magnum opus—human beings.
When listening to Sparrow, it feels as though the Garden of Eden has never left humanity, and that the bits and pieces of its remains have been loosely sprinkled into the little aspects of the beautiful, natural world around us. The lyrics of Sparrow transform simple words to wizardly enchantments as they echo from the speakers and create a sense of sentience among the trees, the sky, the gravel, and the dirt—it’s all connected.
Paul - [The One]
Also known as the most listened-to Big Thief song on Spotify, Paul personally reigns the best of their lineup.
Through analysis, this is a story about a girl who’s trying to break free from her relationship with a man named Paul, with the lyrics “I was horrible and almost let him in” referring to the fact that the girl knows her relationship with him isn’t anything to speak positively about. She thought that Paul could solve her issues, to “kiss away” her thoughts, but she realized he is not the one. Like an unhealthy relationship, the speaker is facing an inner battle between letting go of Paul or staying with him, saying how she’ll try to “push” him from her brain, yet she still nevertheless “burns for him.”
But even without understanding what the lyrics mean, this song still bombards you with feeling, and that’s because it’s impossible to bring up this song without mentioning its absolute dreamy atmosphere. Lenker’s voice goes beyond ethereal and velvety; the delivery of each line pulls at your heart like strings on a guitar. The song fills you with affection so ardent that it’s as if you yourself were Paul.
Finale
Big Thief’s music possesses an uncanny ability to transport listeners to otherworldly realms. These five select songs in particular are all bursting with emotions that prompt introspection; they are a testament to the power of music to connect us to something greater than ourselves, to explore the depths of the human experience, and to find beauty in the unexpected.