Big Thief Ask Existential Questions on ‘Double Infinity’ » PopMatters
On Double Infinity, Big Thief return as a trio to deliver their loosest compositions and some of their most moving work to date.
Double Infinity Big Thief 4AD 5 September 2025
Big Thief return as a three-piece on their sixth studio album, Double Infinity. Only ten years ago, the former Berklee College of Music alumnae signed with Saddle Creek (eventually transitioning to 4AD) and were well on their way to becoming one of the biggest names in indie rock today.
With the departure of bassist Max Oleartchik, Big Thief still feature original members Adrianne Lenker (vocals, guitar), Buck Meek (guitar, backing vocals), and James Krivchenia (drums), along with a host of studio musicians contributing bass, tape loops, keys, drones, and an assortment of other instruments. Double Infinity was recorded over three weeks at the Power Station with longtime producer and engineer Dom Monks, the band uniting on long bike rides from Brooklyn to the Hell’s Kitchen studio. On the record, Big Thief once again prove they are one of the most proficient, not to mention innovative, groups around today.
On the album opener and lead single “Incomprehensible”, Lenker shares the tale of her and her lover who miss their flight only to keep going into the wilderness, where they can appreciate nature in all its majesty. Even though the experience is meaningful, traveling across borders only begins to signify the transcendental path we are all on, whether it’s turning another year older or finding gray hairs upon one’s shoulder. Lenker’s vocals take on an ethereal quality when reflecting upon the line of women that led to her, with the revelation, “How can beauty that is living be anything but true?”
As always, Lenker conveys deep feelings about the world around her, not to mention the vitality that courses within her. She’s comfortable in her own skin, not afraid to be naked with herself, a flower child out of time. Her voice has never sounded so malleable, a troubadour talk-singing one moment and reaching angelic tones the next. On the title track, she’s on the level of so many of her American roots forebearers. Still, she can just as naturally meld into background vocals or play it straight, revealing the ingenuity of her craft.
Big Thief maintain their overall egalitarian approach, which extends beyond songcraft to encompass their world outlook. Maybe it’s because they are now a trio, but their interplay sounds freer. The percussion often feels like listeners have just stumbled upon a drum circle. The band lean into folk traditions yet incorporate a myriad of sounds. On “Words”, Meek brandishes his guitar in the manner of Mdou Moctar, offering a delightful North African flair. The mesmerizing “No Fear” drifts along in a cloud of smoke, the haze never really lifting.
To a certain extent, the entire record feels like a spontaneous affair. Considering their recording schedule, that effect may be by design. The introduction to “Los Angeles” features preliminary strumming and bongos, accompanied by background talking and laughter. The song then rambles along until it builds to a climactic refrain—”You sang for me”—before embarking upon a similar yet distinct pattern for the following verses. The closing communal sing-along, “How Could I Have Known”, is part of the same organic thread woven throughout.
Double Infinity’s centerpiece, “Grandmother”, written by all three members, is one of the most moving numbers Big Thief have ever recorded. Grandmother likely refers to Mother Earth, as they lament on the fact that someday this will all be gone. Guest musician Laraaji lends the track a Native American spiritual quality, a theme he explored in his recent collaborations with the Medicine Singers. Surprisingly, these profound reflections on existence and our relationship with the earth culminate in the classic rock refrain: “Gonna turn it all into rock and roll.”
Meaningful themes course through the record, much of it concerning universality. In Lenker’s world, our earthly desires are not separate from the sublime. While this duality may be hard to reckon with, she identifies nuances that exist. Paradoxes come to the fore, such as “We are made of love / We are also made of pain” (“Grandmother”), each being true in its own way. On Double Infinity, our inner and outer worlds collide to reveal something timeless—a transitory moment captured in song, where the impossible seems almost within reach.