This album puts me on a porch. It’s 7:26 pm, mid-summer, which is to say the sky is the deep blue that only precedes the appearance of stars. There is a breeze which does almost nothing in the heavy heat of July, and I’m barefoot, for once. The music isn’t lonely, accompanied by the sounds of happy people not far off, with children resisting their bed times and laughing down the block. There is promise, this evening, of a game of cards and maybe a piece of pie to follow, and the tilt of the rocking chair makes its own symphony, too.

I give this album a solemn nod of appreciation and a giddy little smile and maybe a walk around the block, too. Mitski will always sneak up on you - a beat to get you nodding and a lyric to force a double take. I’m particularly fond of “In a Lake” and “That White Cat”, but the whole album gets more interesting with each listen. Well done!