Album: Two Hands by Big Thief (2019)
Genre: Indie Rock
Record Label: 4AD
Format: Album

Description: Two Hands is the fourth studio album by the American band Big Thief, released through 4AD on October 11, 2019. The album comes five months after the release of the band's third studio album, U.F.O.F., and is described as its "earth twin".

Background and recording
Recording for Two Hands began only days after the band completed recording their third studio album, U.F.O.F., at Bear Creek Studio in Woodinville, Washington. Two Hands was recorded at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas and produced by the Andrew Sarlo, who has produced every Big Thief album. Compared to the lush nature setting of Bear Creek, Sonic Ranch is located in the dry, hot Chihuahuan Desert of Texas. The album's press release indicated the studio was chosen purposely for its "vast desert location", with the songs reflecting its influence. The songs were recorded live with almost no overdubs and all but two songs feature entirely live vocal takes.

Music and lyrics
In the album's press release, Adrianne Lenker said, "Two Hands has the songs that I'm the most proud of; I can imagine myself singing them when I'm old. Musically and lyrically, you can't break it down much further than this. It's already bare-bones."

Release and promotion
The album was announced on August 13, 2019 alongside the release of its first single, "Not". Upon release, the song was awarded the "Best New Track" distinction by Pitchfork, with Quinn Moreland calling it "a towering statement from a group constantly leapfrogging over themselves."

On the August 19, 2019 the band performed Two Hands in full during an intimate show at London's Bush Hall.

A second song from the album, "Forgotten Eyes", was released on 2 October 2019.

In early August, some fans who had purchased U.F.O.F. on vinyl from the 4AD website received an unmarked 7" record in the mail. It contained two songs that were later revealed to be the title track "Two Hands" and "Love In Mine", a track appearing on the Japanese version of the album. The 7" had "10/11/19" etched into it, alluding to the release date.

Artist Background: "Big Thief" is an indie rock band based in Brooklyn, New York. Its members are Adrianne Lenker (guitar, vocals), Buck Meek (guitar), Max Oleartchik (bass), and James Krivchenia (drums). Every once in a while, a band comes along that leaves expectations, cynicism, and emotional distance ruined in a heap on the floor. Brooklyn's Big Thief is that band. To hear songwriter Adrianne Lenker's lilting narratives and twisted, fuzzy guitars is to love them. Lenker's lyrical storytelling is equally gro... Part of the Brooklyn,New York,USA music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Indie Rock movement.

Music Scene: Part of the Brooklyn,New York,USA music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Indie Rock movement.

Tags: Indie Rock, 2010s, Album, 4AD


Two Hands is the fourth studio album by the American band Big Thief, released through 4AD on October 11, 2019. The album comes five months after the release of the band's third studio album, U.F.O.F., and is described as its "earth twin".

Background and recording
Recording for Two Hands began only days after the band completed recording their third studio album, U.F.O.F., at Bear Creek Studio in Woodinville, Washington. Two Hands was recorded at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas and produced by the Andrew Sarlo, who has produced every Big Thief album. Compared to the lush nature setting of Bear Creek, Sonic Ranch is located in the dry, hot Chihuahuan Desert of Texas. The album's press release indicated the studio was chosen purposely for its "vast desert location", with the songs reflecting its influence. The songs were recorded live with almost no overdubs and all but two songs feature entirely live vocal takes.

Music and lyrics
In the album's press release, Adrianne Lenker said, "Two Hands has the songs that I'm the most proud of; I can imagine myself singing them when I'm old. Musically and lyrically, you can't break it down much further than this. It's already bare-bones."

Release and promotion
The album was announced on August 13, 2019 alongside the release of its first single, "Not". Upon release, the song was awarded the "Best New Track" distinction by Pitchfork, with Quinn Moreland calling it "a towering statement from a group constantly leapfrogging over themselves."

On the August 19, 2019 the band performed Two Hands in full during an intimate show at London's Bush Hall.

A second song from the album, "Forgotten Eyes", was released on 2 October 2019.

In early August, some fans who had purchased U.F.O.F. on vinyl from the 4AD website received an unmarked 7" record in the mail. It contained two songs that were later revealed to be the title track "Two Hands" and "Love In Mine", a track appearing on the Japanese version of the album. The 7" had "10/11/19" etched into it, alluding to the release date.

Album: Double Infinity by Big Thief (2025)
Format: Album

Artist Background: "Big Thief" is an indie rock band based in Brooklyn, New York. Its members are Adrianne Lenker (guitar, vocals), Buck Meek (guitar), Max Oleartchik (bass), and James Krivchenia (drums). Every once in a while, a band comes along that leaves expectations, cynicism, and emotional distance ruined in a heap on the floor. Brooklyn's Big Thief is that band. To hear songwriter Adrianne Lenker's lilting narratives and twisted, fuzzy guitars is to love them. Lenker's lyrical storytelling is equally gro... Part of the Brooklyn,New York,USA music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Indie Rock movement.

Music Scene: Part of the Brooklyn,New York,USA music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Indie Rock movement.

Tags: 2020s, Album


Album: Masterpiece by Big Thief (2016)
Genre: Indie Rock
Record Label: Saddle Creek Records
Format: Album

Description: "Masterpiece"     is the debut full-length release for the Brooklyn folk-influenced rock band Big Thief, released May 27, 2016 through Saddle Creek Records.
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 79, based on 14 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Artist Background: "Big Thief" is an indie rock band based in Brooklyn, New York. Its members are Adrianne Lenker (guitar, vocals), Buck Meek (guitar), Max Oleartchik (bass), and James Krivchenia (drums). Every once in a while, a band comes along that leaves expectations, cynicism, and emotional distance ruined in a heap on the floor. Brooklyn's Big Thief is that band. To hear songwriter Adrianne Lenker's lilting narratives and twisted, fuzzy guitars is to love them. Lenker's lyrical storytelling is equally gro... Part of the Brooklyn,New York,USA music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Indie Rock movement.

Music Scene: Part of the Brooklyn,New York,USA music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Indie Rock movement.

Tags: Indie Rock, 2010s, Album, Saddle Creek Records

Additional Context: Based on 2 votes


"Masterpiece"     is the debut full-length release for the Brooklyn folk-influenced rock band Big Thief, released May 27, 2016 through Saddle Creek Records.
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 79, based on 14 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Album: U.F.O.F. by Big Thief (2019)
Genre: Indie Rock
Record Label: 4AD
Format: Album

Description: "U.F.O.F."  is the third full length studio album by the American band Big Thief, released through 4AD on May 3, 2019.
U.F.O.F. received critical acclaim upon release. On Metacritic, which uses a normalized rating from music critics, the album holds a score of 89 out of 100 based on 16 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".

Artist Background: "Big Thief" is an indie rock band based in Brooklyn, New York. Its members are Adrianne Lenker (guitar, vocals), Buck Meek (guitar), Max Oleartchik (bass), and James Krivchenia (drums). Every once in a while, a band comes along that leaves expectations, cynicism, and emotional distance ruined in a heap on the floor. Brooklyn's Big Thief is that band. To hear songwriter Adrianne Lenker's lilting narratives and twisted, fuzzy guitars is to love them. Lenker's lyrical storytelling is equally gro... Part of the Brooklyn,New York,USA music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Indie Rock movement.

Music Scene: Part of the Brooklyn,New York,USA music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Indie Rock movement.

Tags: Indie Rock, 2010s, Album, 4AD


"U.F.O.F."  is the third full length studio album by the American band Big Thief, released through 4AD on May 3, 2019.
U.F.O.F. received critical acclaim upon release. On Metacritic, which uses a normalized rating from music critics, the album holds a score of 89 out of 100 based on 16 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".

Album: Capacity by Big Thief (2017)
Genre: Indie Rock
Record Label: Saddle Creek Records
Format: Album

Description: "Capacity"  is the second full-length release for the Brooklyn folk-influenced rock band Big Thief, released June 9, 2017 through Saddle Creek Records.
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 81, based on 13 reviews, indicating "Universal acclaim".

Artist Background: "Big Thief" is an indie rock band based in Brooklyn, New York. Its members are Adrianne Lenker (guitar, vocals), Buck Meek (guitar), Max Oleartchik (bass), and James Krivchenia (drums). Every once in a while, a band comes along that leaves expectations, cynicism, and emotional distance ruined in a heap on the floor. Brooklyn's Big Thief is that band. To hear songwriter Adrianne Lenker's lilting narratives and twisted, fuzzy guitars is to love them. Lenker's lyrical storytelling is equally gro... Part of the Brooklyn,New York,USA music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Indie Rock movement.

Music Scene: Part of the Brooklyn,New York,USA music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Indie Rock movement.

Tags: Indie Rock, 2010s, Album, Saddle Creek Records

Additional Context: Rating score: 8. Based on 2 votes


"Capacity"  is the second full-length release for the Brooklyn folk-influenced rock band Big Thief, released June 9, 2017 through Saddle Creek Records.
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 81, based on 13 reviews, indicating "Universal acclaim".

Album: Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You by Big Thief (2022)
Genre: Indie Rock
Record Label: 4AD
Format: Album

Description: Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You is the fifth studio album by the American band Big Thief, released as a double album through 4AD on February 11, 2022. Produced by drummer James Krivchenia, the album features 20 songs which were recorded over five months in four different locations across the United States. The album's release was preceded by eight singles. It received acclaim from critics upon release.

Background
In 2019, Big Thief left Saddle Creek and signed to 4AD, releasing two studio albums: U.F.O.F. in May 2019 and Two Hands in October 2019. The albums were the band's most successful and acclaimed to date: U.F.O.F. received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album and both albums appeared on the Billboard 200 chart, with Two Hands peaking at 113. Their song "Not" from Two Hands was named by many publications as one of the year's best songs and was nominated for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. Big Thief toured in support of the albums until March 2020, when their European tour was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2020, Lenker released two solo albums: Songs and Instrumentals. Guitarist Buck Meek released his second solo album Two Saviors in January 2021.

Recording

Drummer James Krivchenia produced the album
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You album was produced by drummer James Krivchenia, who conceived the concept behind its recording. In late 2019, while at a hotel in Copenhagen, Krivchenia presented the band with the concept that they would travel to four different locations: Upstate New York, Topanga Canyon in California, the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, and the Colorado mountains. They would record at four different studios with four separate engineers, and go to each place with a specific sonic plan in mind. Krivchenia's intent was to capture a full expression of Lenker's songwriting and the band onto a single album. Krivchenia's production handling also marks the band's first album not produced by their longtime collaborator Andrew Sarlo.

The band recorded over the span of five months, resulting in 45 complete songs which were ultimately edited down to the album's 20 tracks. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the band initially quarantined in the Vermont woods for two weeks in July 2020. The first session was in July and August 2020 at Sam Evian's Flying Cloud Recordings in Upstate New York. The second session was with Shawn Everett in October 2020 at Five Star Studios in Topanga, California. The third session was with engineer Dom Monks, who previously engineered U.F.O.F. and Two Hands; the session took place in November 2020 at MusicGardens - Studio In The Clouds in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, located just outside Telluride. The fourth and final session was in December 2020 at Scott McMicken's Press On Studio in Tucson, Arizona. Mat Davidson, a longtime friend of the band who performs under the moniker Twain and was featured on Capacity (2017), was invited to contribute to the recordings in Arizona. Davidson's vocals and fiddle performances would ultimately feature heavily throughout the Arizona recordings, marking the first time the band incorporated a fifth instrumentalist for such a substantial contribution. The album also features recordings from April 2020 at The Elf Inn in Westhampton, Massachusetts.

Artist Background: "Big Thief" is an indie rock band based in Brooklyn, New York. Its members are Adrianne Lenker (guitar, vocals), Buck Meek (guitar), Max Oleartchik (bass), and James Krivchenia (drums). Every once in a while, a band comes along that leaves expectations, cynicism, and emotional distance ruined in a heap on the floor. Brooklyn's Big Thief is that band. To hear songwriter Adrianne Lenker's lilting narratives and twisted, fuzzy guitars is to love them. Lenker's lyrical storytelling is equally gro... Part of the Brooklyn,New York,USA music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Indie Rock movement.

Music Scene: Part of the Brooklyn,New York,USA music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Indie Rock movement.

Tags: Indie Rock, 2020s, Album, 4AD


Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You is the fifth studio album by the American band Big Thief, released as a double album through 4AD on February 11, 2022. Produced by drummer James Krivchenia, the album features 20 songs which were recorded over five months in four different locations across the United States. The album's release was preceded by eight singles. It received acclaim from critics upon release.

Background
In 2019, Big Thief left Saddle Creek and signed to 4AD, releasing two studio albums: U.F.O.F. in May 2019 and Two Hands in October 2019. The albums were the band's most successful and acclaimed to date: U.F.O.F. received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album and both albums appeared on the Billboard 200 chart, with Two Hands peaking at 113. Their song "Not" from Two Hands was named by many publications as one of the year's best songs and was nominated for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. Big Thief toured in support of the albums until March 2020, when their European tour was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2020, Lenker released two solo albums: Songs and Instrumentals. Guitarist Buck Meek released his second solo album Two Saviors in January 2021.

Recording

Drummer James Krivchenia produced the album
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You album was produced by drummer James Krivchenia, who conceived the concept behind its recording. In late 2019, while at a hotel in Copenhagen, Krivchenia presented the band with the concept that they would travel to four different locations: Upstate New York, Topanga Canyon in California, the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, and the Colorado mountains. They would record at four different studios with four separate engineers, and go to each place with a specific sonic plan in mind. Krivchenia's intent was to capture a full expression of Lenker's songwriting and the band onto a single album. Krivchenia's production handling also marks the band's first album not produced by their longtime collaborator Andrew Sarlo.

The band recorded over the span of five months, resulting in 45 complete songs which were ultimately edited down to the album's 20 tracks. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the band initially quarantined in the Vermont woods for two weeks in July 2020. The first session was in July and August 2020 at Sam Evian's Flying Cloud Recordings in Upstate New York. The second session was with Shawn Everett in October 2020 at Five Star Studios in Topanga, California. The third session was with engineer Dom Monks, who previously engineered U.F.O.F. and Two Hands; the session took place in November 2020 at MusicGardens - Studio In The Clouds in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, located just outside Telluride. The fourth and final session was in December 2020 at Scott McMicken's Press On Studio in Tucson, Arizona. Mat Davidson, a longtime friend of the band who performs under the moniker Twain and was featured on Capacity (2017), was invited to contribute to the recordings in Arizona. Davidson's vocals and fiddle performances would ultimately feature heavily throughout the Arizona recordings, marking the first time the band incorporated a fifth instrumentalist for such a substantial contribution. The album also features recordings from April 2020 at The Elf Inn in Westhampton, Massachusetts.

Album: Masterpiece by Big Thief (2023)
Genre: americana | Style: animal on cover
Record Label: 4AD
Format: CD

Description: remastered

Artist Background: Artist from US, known for alternative rock, folk rock, indie rock, lo-fi, singer-songwriter

Related Artists: Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek, Haley Heynderickx

Music Scene: Part of the Brooklyn,New York,USA music scene. Emerged in the contemporary era. Associated with Indie Rock movement.

Tags: americana, animal on cover, 2020s, CD, 4AD


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