Track of the Week

 Hey! I’m back from my Christmas hiatus and ready to kick off 2024 with the first track of the week. This is one that I’m really excited to share with you as it’s by someone who, in my opinion, is one of the strongest songwriters in the industry at this time. Those of you who know me will know that I adore indie folk as a genre and it’s one that I write in regularly, and I think this is probably part of the reason why I adore this track and in fact this whole album so much. So, without further ado, this weeks track of the week is ‘half return’ by Adrianne Lenker.

This track is from Lenker’s 2020 album ‘songs’ which was accompanied by another titled ‘instrumentals’ and I must say that it’s one of my favourite albums from the last five years, which is something when you consider the sheer volume of amazing albums which have been released in that time. The whole album consists of guitar based folk music, with Lenker’s soft vocals over the top of classic folk picking patterns and chord progressions which seem like they could move forever. In particular ‘half return’ is one of my favourites because I admire the way Adrianne is able to craft melodies which stick in your head and at the same time are so beautiful and insightful. Within this song, which is only a short one, she manages to perfectly capture the beauty of the acoustic guitar and its versatility as an accompanying instrument. 

Lyrically, the song discusses themes of childhood nostalgia, something which is exacerbated by the accompaniment which feels warm in a nostalgic kind of way. To discuss the idea of moving on, Adrianne uses the repeated line ‘The lawn is dead’, a clever use of nature to represent her childhood. While her music is the kind that might take you a few listens to really get it, it’s definitely worth getting to know because few artists can do what she does. 

So, in short, if you like guitar based music or are a fan of folk I would definitely recommend that you listen to Adrianne Lenker. She has an incredible ability to create feelings that are all consuming in a kind of atmospheric way, and she has helped my respect for songwriting grow exponentially because I am truthfully amazed at her skill.