Big Thief’s sixth studio album was released on Friday, Sept. 5. Photo courtesy of Genius.  

OLLIE FITZGERALD | ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR | ofitzgerald@butler.edu

On June 3, 2025, indie band Big Thief — popularized on TikTok for songs like “Vampire Empire” and frontman Adrianne Lenker’s “not a lot, just forever” — announced the release date of their sixth studio album. The announcement post included the release of the first track, “Incomprehensible”, the rest of its track list and its full production credits. 

Background

Formed in 2015, Big Thief has seen its fair share of Fleetwood Mac-like relationships. Lenker and guitarist/Big Thief co-founder, Buck Meek, were married for a short period of time before getting divorced in 2018, all while on tour. This split created an interesting dynamic for the band, as Lenker would write about her feelings throughout the divorce — and in relationships after — while Meek played instrumentals for the songs. 

Yet, Lenker has never shied away from creating music inspired by how she is feeling — including her relationship and breakup with artist Indigo Spark — which encompasses one of Lenker’s solo albums. In 2024, Lenker started dating singer-songwriter Staci Foster, which is likely where much of the inspiration for “Double Infinity” comes from.

Junior P1 pharmacy major Abbey Beatty said she likes Big Thief’s music and the new project because of its unique sound and lyricism.

“I really like [their music] sonically,” Beatty said. “There are not a lot of artists who have the mellow but still rock vibe. I think that, paired with the deeper level lyrics — that are still digestible — is really interesting together.”

Katherine Wymer, a junior English and middle/secondary education double major, said that “Double Infinity” has a different sound than previous Big Thief projects. Wymer identified the departure of the band’s former bassist and cheerful soundscape as contributing factors.

“I looked it up and apparently they were experimenting with a bunch of other [bassists],” Wymer said. “That makes a lot of sense, because [the album is] not quite as dark. I feel like it [has] a lighter sound than [Big Thief albums] normally do.”

The passage of time

Lenker, now 34, focuses on the societal expectations of aging throughout the album. 

In “Incomprehensible”, Lenker sings, “I’m afraid of getting older,’ that’s what I’ve learned to say / Society has given me the words to think that way /… My mother and my grandma, my great-grandmother too / Wrinkle like the river, sweeten like the dew /… How can beauty that is living be anything but true?” 

This portion of the song gained significant traction on TikTok — a differing message on a platform where anti-aging has become trendy — before the song was officially released.

Liesl Rozeboom, a junior German, psychology and neuroscience triple major, says “Incomprehensible” stood out as her favorite among other tracks on the album.

“I just like the way it sounds,” Rozeboom said. “[The music] scratches an itch on my brain.”

Yearning, loving and Staci Foster

A main focus of the album is the love Lenker feels for whom the listener can assume is her current partner. All nine tracks highlight different aspects of love in the mundane, detailing road trips, nature metaphors and how words are not enough to explain the way Lenker loves. 

In the song “Los Angeles”, Lenker reflects on traveling around the country by different means of transportation. Eventually, the singer-songwriter details landing in California — coincidentally where Foster is from — and meeting the subject “face-to-face.”

In “Los Angeles”, Lenker emphasizes the impact Foster has had on her writing, speaking directly about the duration of and the feelings of their relationship. Lenker sings, “Feels like it’s been ten years, has it only been two years? / Two years feels like forever / But I know you without looking / You call, we come together.” 

General reception

Since “Double Infinity” leans on the musically experimental side of Big Thief’s discography, the album may not be for every listener. The project provides grounding descriptions for those who value lyrics and impressive instrumentals for those who value sound.

Wymer has a clear favorite and least favorite track after only a few listens.

“My favorite [track] is the last one on the album, ‘How Could I Have Known?’,” Wymer said. “I think it’s so sweet. I love the sound, I love the lyrics [and] everything about it. My least favorite — I’ve never even listened to the full thing, I skip through it halfway — is ‘Grandmother’. It’s too experimental for me, and not really something I enjoy listening to.

On the other hand, Rozeboom’s experience with “Double Infinity” has been one of background music. Her listening journey has been less analytical and more calming, as she typically listens to the album while studying or relaxing.

“[Big Thief] is not something I have to know a lot about to appreciate,” Rozeboom said. “It seems like everything has a second [or] deeper meaning, whether it’s music or not. Having something [where] I can just [say], ‘Oh, this is what it is, and this is what I like about it,’ without there having to be some attachment to this, that or the other thing is [enjoyable to me].”

Big Thief’s “Double Infinity” is now available on music streaming platforms and in stores.