I took a bit of a break from my manic movie watching schedule to see one of my favorite bands, Big Thief, in Atlanta. I had seen the band perform once previously at the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago in 2023, but this concert was a very interesting contrast.

The show began with a number of songs off of her current album, and the performance made clear that Adrianne Lenker’s head is in a very different place now than it was two years ago. The new album is filled with songs about the imperfection of language and the futility of trying to perfectly express thoughts and feelings.

The band set up the performance with these pieces, then added around them songs from the Big Thief canon that did not dwell on Adrianne’s rawest emotions. Even “Vampire Empire,” one of her most visceral breakup songs, was sung with some emotional distance.

This allowed Adrianne to focus on songs that show off her detail oriented storytelling, but also gave her an opportunity to showcase her musicality. Lenker absolutely shredded throughout the performance — and the back to back performances of “Not” and “Masterpiece” brought down the house.

As an encore, the band played what I think is their best song, “Change.” I’ve noted in another essay how the song begins as a song about death but deftly turns into a love song about loss. But Adrianne reframed it tonight. The closing verses about being “happy for her,” whoever it was who dominated the Big Thief and Lenker solo songs from 2021-24, no longer sound wistful. She seems to have discovered that change within herself.

Adrianne’s in a happier place now. Her heartbreak left behind some of the best songs in recent years … but luckily for her, she came out of it intact, and reminded everyone tonight that she’s still one helluva musician.