Guide to Mitski’s ‘Laurel Hell’
By Jyselle Rosas
On February 4, 2022, Mitski’s highly anticipated album, “Laurel Hell,” was released, four months after coming back from her three-year hiatus. During those months before her official return, she continued releasing music each month, releasing a total of four singles before the official album release, while simultaneously announcing her 2022 tour, beginning on February 17 in Asheville, North Carolina.
With a song per month being released, “Working for the Knife” was the first to be released. Being the second track on the album, “Working for the Knife” acknowledges feeling burnt out, as she works days on end to make others happy, without taking care of herself.
In verse two of the song, she states, “I used to think I would tell stories/But nobody cared for the stories I had/About no good guys.”
This shows how she may truly feel about her audience and what she does in her profession, feeling burdened to release projects, knowing or feeling like her audience doesn’t actually care about her or what she has to say. They don’t care about her, they only care about her music.
In the last song of the album, track eleven, “That’s Our Lamp” moves from the theme of pressure and exhaustion to the heartbreak of knowing your relationship is over without it really being over. The constant bickering between the two lovers creates tension, with them apologizing soon after but knowing it isn’t the same anymore.
Moving from topic to topic in the album, Mitski does not halt listeners from being allowed to relate.
Many of these issues are ones others face during day-to-day life, such as track five, “Heat Lightning,” struggling with insomnia and dealing with stress and anxiety whilst laying awake late at night, alone with your thoughts. Being compared to The Velvet Underground’s “Venus in Furs” by Pitchfork for the restlessness sound, “Heat Lightning,” allows for listeners to not feel so alone when experiencing the same feelings. In addition, many may also relate to the relationship struggles in the album, ones such as previously discussed “That’s Our Lamp,” but also “Should’ve Been Me,” which highlights the pain of being left by someone, only for them to move on and start a relationship with someone that could be considered your clone.
Mitski’s long-awaited comeback has brought many people to feel even more connected with her music before, as she continues to express different hardships she faces each day that many people can also relate to.