Mitski continues to roll out highly anticipated new album The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We with two new tracks “Heaven” and “Star,” both released on August 23rd. The soft-spoken, sorrowful star gave fans little notice prior to the double release besides an announcement of a new single premiering on BBC Radio 1 at 1 p.m. EST.
Of the two new tracks, “Heaven” is the more palatable, structured, and radio-ready. The song features soft, country-tinged production and steady progression as Mitski’s pristine delivery cuts through the strings and bass with ease. Her monotone vocal lines emphasize the drawn-out, laid-back nature of the breezy composition, only to be challenged for a brief moment in the song’s later half by aggressive, orchestral stabs. The country twang becomes completely engulfed by a cinematic outro, likely giving the track a beautifully intriguing progression into the next cut in context of the album.
The A-side of the double single “Star” is a bold, ambient piece far more difficult to follow than “Heaven.” The track’s simple, pulsing kick-and-snare drum pattern is ominous behind layers of droning strings and organs, which rise for nearly the entire track in an endless crescendo. The lyrics describe a formative, early love as a star whose light continues to burn and travel the distance to the eyes of her partner. Throughout the song, it is never clearly stated if the romance in question has continued or come to an end.
The longtime XPN fave’s seventh album will be released on Sept. 15th via Dead Oceans. The project was recorded between Bomb Shelter in Nashville and Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles, with production from loyal producer Patrick Hyland. Both “Star” and “Heaven” were recorded in LA with Drew Erickson, a producer who has worked Lana Del Rey, Weyes Blood, Father John Misty, who conducted and arranged a full orchestra for the tracks.
With only a small string of intimate UK shows announced as of now, a full-fledged USA tour could be announced closer to the album’s release. Mitski’s two new songs “Star” and “Heaven” are available now on all streaming services; listen below.