By Mackenzie Shields

In their new album “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You,” indie group Big Thief explores relationships, change and nature. The album was released on Feb. 11 and is their first full-length album since 2019.

Big Thief masterfully weaves together complexity and simplicity, veiling complex themes in simpler music and simple themes in heavy layers of music.

Big Thief also integrates several genres into its music, including folk, alternative, rock and country. Though the album is fairly lengthy with 20 tracks, the effective use of such a wide range of moods helps make the album feel fresh with each new song.

The opening song “Change” introduces one of the album’s primary themes. The song focuses on accepting change for what it is, connecting change in nature, like leaves and butterflies, to human experiences, like romantic relationships and death. 

Multiple songs on the album take a reflective, neutral approach to their themes, no matter how dark they may seem on the surface. Frequently, judgment is reserved for the listeners, and the lyrics show a snapshot of the artist’s thoughts: not complete and structured, but reflective and open. 

The first song which seems to break free from this universe is the title track, “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You.” Even the title feels unique, and the rest of the track was consistent with this. With a mysterious guitar opening, the song seems to provide an escape into some fantasy world, and feels hopeful. The instrumentation and build of the song seem ethereal, and are completely gripping.

“Red Moon,” a travel song, feels the most accessible. It seems to have universal appeal. It is a bright piece with more harmonies, and the perfect song for a road trip. Themes of travel persist throughout the album.

Relationships are disused in several songs, mostly in the negative. “Little Things” and “Love Love Love” portray dying relationships. In “Little Talks,” the beginning has an upbeat feel, until slowly, the singer faces abandonment and loss. “Love Love Love” looks at a dying relationship, using the word love over and over, wearing it out until it is uncertain whether the singer is even experiencing it all. 

Nature is the universal theme, connecting each song to the next. It is this theme which allows an album full of different topics to still feel so cohesive. It is used as both a contrast and a connection to today’s world. It is even brought up against science fiction elements, such as in the song “Simulation Swarm,” one of the album’s singles.

One element that makes this album more difficult to enjoy is its vocals. Though full of deep, unique, and metaphorical lyrics, the singer’s annunciation makes them challenging to understand. Though the singer’s voice fits the style perfectly, the words proved themselves difficult to comprehend without a visual reference to what they were saying.

As a whole, “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You’’ is an exceptional album which examines human nature and our relationship to the world around us. Touching on many themes in a way that still feels cohesive, it provides a great listening experience and has potential to provoke several emotions. Most poignantly, it reestablishes the human connection to nature, something that often feels hopelessly lost in the digital age.

Image from Big Thief via YouTube