Laurel Hell

Vinyl LP pressing. 2022 release. With 'Laurel Hell', Mitski solidifies her reputation as an artist possessing immense power - capable of using her talent to transform our most raw and isolated experiences into a healing elixir. Following the critically acclaimed album 'Be the Cowboy', which followed the success of 2016's 'Puberty 2', Mitski transitioned from a cult favorite to an indie sensation. Amidst a time of national discord, the demands of touring, and the challenges of heightened visibility, her music evolved in response to these experiences. Drawing inspiration from the mountain laurels that lend their name to this new album, Mitski delves into the theme of public perception, likening it to the captivating yet treacherous allure of the internet - a deceptive facade that tightens its grip the more one struggles against it. Exhausted by this distorted reflection and society's reliance on false dichotomies, Mitski penned songs that peel away masks to reveal the intricate and often conflicting realities beneath. Many of these tracks were written in or before 2018, with the album's mixing completed in May 2021. This record marks Mitski's lengthiest creative process to date, culminating in a changed world. Collaborating with her longtime producer Patrick Hyland amidst the solitude of a global pandemic, Mitski saw some songs "slowly take on new forms and meanings, like seed to flower." While change may be imperceptible to the