'Tis the season for taking stock of what transpired in my personal musical universe over the previous 12 months, as I whittle down my favorite albums over that span and think about others that engaged me, albeit not quite to the degree or timing for me to write about them. Next week I'll be sharing my annual list of favorite records and some of those that almost made it, along with the usual two collections of songs from releases that weren't featured here. All of which has made me reconsider a certain LP from way back in February.

The album was immediately praised by critics and fans alike. I mostly enjoyed it but had hesitation, largely because, as with previous releases, their brand of Americana folk doesn't always hold my attention and this one is 80 minutes long. The group has long tickled but never fully indulged me, and while lead singer Adrianne Lenker's 2020 solo turn was featured here, today is the first day I've given Big Thief the full spotlight. Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You is deserving.

Since first hearing it back in February, it's slowly grown on me. Seeing them at Milwaukee's magnificent Pabst Theater in April made me appreciate those songs, and the band, even more. During the show, Lenker and co. somehow kept giving me major Neil Young vibes, which caught me completely off guard at the time. It makes a little more sense now listening back to Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You. Unrelated, I've never seen such a discrepancy between performance and mid-set banter, from singing as a confident artist to completely salt of the earth, sheepishly thanking the crowd between tunes. It's all part of Lenker's charm.

Like most albums of this length, it could be better served by removing a few tracks. That said, it's one of the finer efforts of 2022 and easily the best of the prolific quartet's still young career.