Big Thief’s U.F.O.F. got its fair share of critical acclaim upon its release in 2019. But looking around on various threads and websites I witnessed something more of a mixed reception. Some really liked the album, others found it to be more middling. It didn’t go anywhere. The record didn’t possess the more dynamic performances that were abound on Capacity or Masterpiece. It came across as an Adrienne Lenker solo album more than anything. I’m paraphrasing, though these were just some of the things I saw. Reminds me of the whole perception behind Pavement’s Terror Twilight. And just like that album is my favourite of that band’s, U.F.O.F. is number one on my Big Thief ranking list. Sleek-sounding laidback albums to vibe to always get two thumbs up from me.

‘Open Desert’ is one track from the album that I like quite a bit, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone comment on it anywhere. YouTube doesn’t allow comments on official music uploads, so there’s no way to tell. If there’s a song on the record that highlights the production sheen that’s threaded throughout, it might just be this one. The track goes along at something of a midtempo, light twinkling guitars and ambient synthesizers take up the soundscape joined by chimes of a xylophone here and there. And there’s a great intensity of warmth during the choruses where Adrienne Lenker’s harmonies come in on both channels. Production begins to feel very full in a subtle way, before releasing and returning to a more relaxing vibe to the verses.

I don’t know what the track is about. The title doesn’t appear in the lyrics, though they appear to be poetic and vivid descriptions of actions, motions, various thoughts and feelings, and observations Lenker made at some point in time in an inspirational setting. Some allusions to death in there too, possibly. By the “Through the mirror, mountain view” line, I’m going to guess that at least some of the words were thought of during a long drive. Maybe that’s where the title comes from. This is all speculation. In the end, what matters is how I feel about it all. My blog, after all. Despite what you might read on forums and threads – might take a while, this album’s been out for more than three years now – this album isn’t boring. It’s not gonna rock your socks off, no. But it’s solid, well-produced and memorable material. You can find that in this three-and-a-half minute number.