Laurel Hell

«Laurel Hell» is a misconstrued project.

Between 2019 and 2021, Mitski became a viral sensation all over the internet due to her song «Nobody,» which caught the ears of everyone and immediately turned their heads to her. The catchy and disco-influenced track, with its upbeat production, is enough to distract from the quite depressing lyrics, and it's everything the internet had hoped for, especially given the isolation we were all feeling due to the COVID pandemic (jumpscare). Mitski naturally went into a hiatus of sorts, even considering quitting music altogether, but like every great creative, Mitski came back to the studio with new material to start working with.

«Laurel Hell» to me is a misunderstood project; while it does stray away from her usual indie-rock and chamber pop sensibilities, it remains deeply insightful and personal. «Working for the Knife» has truly sent me into a spiral each time I have listened to this project. The feeling of just working to get by in life and not fully chasing the passions that you have, especially when those two intertwine...Just go ahead and run me over with a car while we are at it. «The Only Heartbreaker» and «Love Me More» are the closest we have for a «Nobody» pt.2 from Mitski, and even then, they stand alone in their own lane, showing us that it's just once in a one-time thing.

While «Laurel Hell» is still in essence a true Mitski project, it does feel like she is trying to appease both sides of the coin: longtime fans and the recent crowd that forms around her from her viral hit. From upbeat tracks full of lightness and funky guitars and pianos in «Stay Soft» to then getting whiplash with the dull and slow-paced «Everyone,» it doesn't feel like a natural progression to the project. It's still a great record, nonetheless, and it shows Mitski as a force to be reckoned with; it just suffers from trying to follow the trends of the new wave movement.

P.S. I'm sure «Working for the Knife» will appear in my Apple Replay, and I don't know how to feel about it.