“Laurel”, a common name for plants with dark green leaves, and “Hell” aren’t exactly words that you picture going next to each other. Let alone for the sixth studio album by Japanese-American indie artist Mitski. However, it is the contrast of the words, the beauty of nature but the suffering it can lead that carries throughout the album.
Mitski based the album off of the imagery of being stuck in the surroundings of the deep nature of the Appalachian Mountains. This serves as a metaphor for the isolation she – and all of us – felt during the Covid-19 lockdowns, where no-one could leave their houses. Being stuck inside for extended periods of time was something that affected us all, so there’s no surprise that albums are beginning to be released about it. Just yesterday, Harry Styles announced his latest album “Harry’s House” that is said to talk about his experience during the pandemic.
As happy I am for artists having the ability to turn their experiences into art, lockdown is not exactly something I want to go back and reminisce about right now. Especially as new variants taunt our mask-less faces every day, the last thing I want to do is be reminded of the dark times of 2020 that still do not feel as though they have ended.
While I still think it it too soon to consume media about the pandemic, Laurel Hell doesn’t really serve as a pandemic album, but more highlighting the feelings that being isolated can bring. For many of us, we felt isolated before there were government requirements to do so. We felt as though we were the only person eating alone in the dining hall – as though everyone around us made quicker than we did. This is the kind of isolation that should be highlighed by the media. Music serving as a reminder that you are not the only person to feel as though you are stuck, whether that be in the laurels in the Appalachian mountains or your own personal hell, there is always a way out.
