Be the Cowboy

Two years after her 2016 album Puberty 2, a release that led to tours with Lorde and Pixies and moved her out of the smaller clubs as a headliner, Mitski Miyawaki took the unusual step of trying to warn fans via social media and interviews about her next album. Saying that it wasn't going to be as personal, she implied that those who related to her and tracks like "Your Best American Girl" might be disappointed that she was setting aside the perspective of an outsider longing to fit in. Instead, the follow-up, Be the Cowboy, finds her adopting the persona of a married woman who fits in and lives up to expectations but longs to break free. Song titles like "Me and My Husband" and "Washing Machine Heart" hint at what's in store. What hasn't changed is Mitski's intense, impulsive style of songwriting and arranging that, while often catchy, can keep listeners off-balance. (The album was produced by Puberty 2's Patrick Lyland.) Case in point, some of the tracks here are polished with a spar