In 'Be The Cowboy', Mitski delves into the loneliness of being a symbol and the loneliness of being someone, and how it can feel so much like being no one. But the often-overlooked aspect of being a rising star is the sheer amount of work that goes into it. Japanese-American indie-rocker Mitski was once a cult favourite, but in recent times her audience has grown exponentially, helped by the critical praise heaped on her fourth album, 2016's Puberty 2. Her fresh sonic direction was a conscious effort on her part, informed by the desire to progress as an artist and the fear of the same stagnance she’s seen other artists fall into when they get too comfortable. These wonderful traits are perfectly illustrated by 'Nobody', a beautifully sung mix of 70's soft rock and disco elements that somehow make the state of loneliness seem uplifting.

Mitski’s fifth LP - and second for Dead Oceans ( Slowdive, Khruangbin) - finds the singer finding great emotional depth in her mixture of college rock, grunge and twee-punk. The less glamorous, often overlooked aspect of being a rising star is the sheer amount of work that goes into it. And once we’ve found that gem of a record, we do everything we can to help you appreciate the music.Puberty 2', the excellent album that introduced this listener to the talents of Mitski is actually of similar length ; and they do say after all that less is more. It's certainly a hugely impressive set, with each of the 14 songs dealing with romantic and interpersonal relationships in some way. Some songs (especially A Pearl and Nobody) sound like they're coming out of a radio speaker that favors vocals over everything else, but it's generally a good mix. Infused with a pink glow and mysterious blue light, the performer in Be The Cowboy makes a pact with her audience that the show must go on, but as we draw nearer to the end, a charming ditty recedes into ghostly, faded melancholia, as an angelic voice breaks through to make direct communication.

Like the character Mitski urges us to be in the album title, she can proudly leave town and head off into the sunset with her head held high. It’s funny how only the very old and the very young are permitted to indulge openly in dreams, encouraged to reflect and dwell in poetry. With a lot of the romantic infatuations I've had," she says, "when I look back, I wonder, Did I want them or did I want to be them? In Be The Cowboy, delves into the loneliness of being a symbol and the loneliness of being someone, and how it can feel so much like being no one. I'm not a musician, so I don't have the vocabulary to specify which qualities I like about the music, but the lyrics are original and compelling, the vocals are unique and spellbinding, the arrangements are creative and the overall production is excellent.

From behind the metaphor of an oft visited High School Reunion, Two Slow Dancers' gently ease the album to a close, with it's poignant lyrics questioning our mortality to a moving soundtrack of synthesised strings. Likewise the countryish self loathing of 'Lonesome Love', which I guarantee will leave you wanting more. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. I had been on the road for a long time, which is so isolating, and had to run my own business at the same time,” Mitski explains, “a lot of this record was me not having any feelings, being completely spent, but then trying to rally myself and wake up and get back to Mitski. All image and audio content is used by permission of the copyright holders or their agents, and/or according to fair dealing as per the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.