Big Thief’s fifth album, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You, came out today and it’s fantastic. The 20-song release shows a diverse range of songs from the Brooklyn band, ranging from indie to folk to bluegrass to the psychedelic. Uproxx msuic critic Steve Hyden says, “So much of the pleasure of listening to Dragon comes from appreciating the subtle and delicate ways in which this band works and plays together…” And this is exactly what we get an intimate glimpse of on the video for “Red Moon.”
Recorded in Tucson, Arizona, at the home studio of Dr. Dog’s Scott McMicken, the video gently glides through all four members of Big Thief, along with Mat Davidson on a scintillating fiddle and backing vocals. Davidson’s presence is notable as the band has seldom-if-ever brought in another contributor for their albums. What we see is actually the live take that ended up on the album and it’s the subtle details of the clip that make it especially charming. The way drummer James Krivchenia bangs on the snare with a rag over it, how Buck Meek casually plays lead guitar with one leg crossed over the other, how McMicken squeezes in between a doorway in the background tapping to the beat on his lap, and how singer Adrianne Lenker pushes her pursed lips right up against the mic for a handsome whistle on the outro.
Watch the video for “Red Moon” above.
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You is out now via 4AD. Get it here.