Big Thief release “Incomprehensible,” the lead track from their upcoming album Double Infinity, set to arrive this September through 4AD. The song marks their first official release since last year’s Passional Relations benefit EP and signals a new phase for the band following internal changes and extended solo pursuits.
Produced by Dom Monks, “Incomprehensible” leans into the band’s sparse arrangements and precise lyricism, offering a tightly woven three-minute recording that reflects the group’s continued trust in subtle, emotionally direct songwriting.
Formed in Brooklyn, Big Thief built their following through tireless touring and a string of acclaimed albums that defined an era of indie folk. Their 2019 record U.F.O.F. earned a Grammy nomination, while Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You cemented their status as one of the most consistent forces in the genre. Following the departure of bassist Max Oleartchik, the band now works as a three-piece, with each member—Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek, and James Krivchenia—having recently released solo material. That time apart appears to have influenced the restraint and clarity in “Incomprehensible.”
The group recorded this new single while finalizing the Double Infinity sessions, with Monks shaping the mix to reflect their commitment to organic soundscapes. The track sits at the intersection of structured folk and ambient minimalism. It features Lenker’s distinct vocals at the forefront, supported by intricate guitar interplay and percussion that avoids excess. This restrained production aligns with the tone of the song, which explores human connection through images that feel intimate and unresolved.
GET THE SONG
Produced by Dom Monks
3 June 2025
1 Song, 3 minutes
℗ 2025 Big Thief under exclusive license to 4AD Ltd
Lyric Video
Lyrics
[Intro]
Incomprehensible
Incomprehensible
Incomprehensible, let me be
[Verse 1]
Highway 17, cotton candy rain
Driving with my lover, we missed our plane
So we added on the hours to see the lupine flowers
Way out past the border, we blew through Thunder Bay
[Verse 2]
The pine trees are narrow, a billion broken arrows
The ravens and the crows, robins and the sparrows
All across Ontario, static on the stereo
Went swimming in the lake, Old Woman Bay
[Verse 3]
Traveling with some stuff I left when I was a kid
Mr. Bear and the wooden box I hid
Full of broken gadgets that mean nothin’ now
The only thing I’ll keep are the letters and the photographs
[Verse 4]
In two days it’s my birthday and I’ll be thirty-three
That doesn’t really matter next to eternity
But I like a double number, and I like an odd one too
And everything I see from now on will be somethin’ new
[Verse 5]
“I’m afraid of getting older”, that’s what I’ve learned to say
Society has given me the words to think that way
The message spirals, “Don’t get saggy, don’t get grey”
But the soft and lovely silvers are now falling on my shoulder
[Verse 6]
My mother and my grandma, my great-grandmother too
Wrinkle like the river, sweeten like the dew
And as silver as the rainbow scales that shimmer purple blue
How can beauty that is living be anything but true?
[Verse 7]
So let gravity be my sculptor, let the wind do my hair
Let me dance in front of people without a care
Let me be naked alone with nobody there
With mismatched socks and shoes and stuff stuffed in my underwear
[Outro]
Incomprehensible, let me be
Incomprehensible, let me be
Incomprehensible, let me be