Her Puberty 2 was hailed by many (us included) as one of 2016’s best albums. But it’s been an uncomfortably long time since puberty, you know? Luckily, today, the many post-pubescent may rejoice! For Mitski has announced her long-awaited (even though two years isn’t that long [but what is time anyway, when great music is at stake???]) follow-up, Be The Cowboy.
Commenting on the new album, Mitski reveals that, while maybe not necessarily writing in character, she did experiment with narrative and fiction. More specifically, she kept “a very controlled icy repressed woman who is starting to unravel,” in mind while crafting her songs. “Because women have so little power and showing emotion is seen as weakness, this ‘character’ clings to any amount of control she can get. Still, there is something very primordial in her that is trying to find a way to get out.”
This mindset can certainly be heard in “Geyser,” the lead single and lead track off of Be The Cowboy, where the music swells from a single, looming drone before — as its namesake might — erupting out of the ground, trying to launch all of its pent-up emotion straight into the stratosphere.
Be The Cowboy is set to be released on August 17 via Dead Oceans. You can pre-order it here. While you’re making sure you won’t overdraft on your debit card though, make sure to scroll down to watch the Zia Anger-directed video for “Geyser,” as well as check out the artwork and full tracklisting for Be The Cowboy. We’ll even throw in some Mitski tour dates for free too.
Be The Cowboy
01. Geyser
02. Why Didn’t You Stop Me
03. Old Friend
04. A Pearl
05. Lonesome Love
06. Remember My Name
07. Me And My Husband
08. Come Into the Water
09. Nobody
10. Pink in the Night
11. A Horse Named Cold Air
12. Washing Machine Heart
13. Blue Light
14. Two Slow Dancers
Mitski tour dates
06.09.18 – Bozeman, MT – Rialto Bozeman – solo
06.12.18 – Fort Collins, CO – The Armory ^ - solo
06.14.18 – Santa Fe, NM – Meow Wolf ^ - solo
06.16.18 – El Paso, TX – The Lowbrow Palace ^ - solo
06.16.18 – Marfa, TX – Crowley Theater ^ - solo
06.20.18 – Oxford, MS – Proud Larry’s ^ - solo
06.22.18 – Gainesville, FL – High Dive ^ - solo
06.23.18 – Savannah, GA – El Rocko ^ - solo
06.30.18 – Woodstock, NY – Colony % - solo
09.19.18 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Gorilla *
09.20.18 – Glasgow, UK – Saint Luke’s *
09.22.18 – Dublin, IE – Tivoli Theatre *
09.24.18 – Leeds, UK – Brudnell Social Club *
09.25.18 – Bristol, UK – Trinity Arts Centre *
09.26.18 – London, UK – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire *
09.28.18 – Paris, FR – La Maroquinerie *
09.29.18 – Antwerp, BE – TRIX
10.01.18 – Cologne, DE – Gebäude 9 *
10.02.18 – Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso Noord (Tolhuistuin) *
10.04.18 – Berlin, DE – Musik & Frieden *
10.05.18 – Vesterbro, DK – Vega *
10.06.18 – Hamburg, DE – Uebel & Gefährlich *
# = Briana Marela
^ = Katie von Schleicher
% = Caroline Rose
* = EERA