On the rangy folk-rock band Big Thief’s Saddle Creek debut Masterpiece, the songs sound cherry-picked over a lifetime of writing, the stories carefully compiled.
Singer-songwriter Adrianne Lenker pens evocative scenes of people and places, while the band shifts nimbly between lo-fi acoustic and throwback rock hooks, keeping everything noisy and tuneful. They do not reinvent the form and they probably won’t be the band to break it, but Lenker has a striking voice and a way with turns of phrase—she is a clear star.
Masterpiece is the name of the album and yes it sure is. Big Thief are a band that will go far – not only with NPR listeners.