Big Thief’s Masterpiece is a band at its peak of ambition, and mostly it delivers. The record, released in 2016, is a 12-track collection built around singer Adrianne Lenker’s writing, and it plays like a setlist of her best work across years of songwriting. The songs sound cherry-picked over a lifetime of writing, the stories carefully compiled, which is precisely the point.
Track By Track
“Little Arrow” opens the album at 1:58, a quick entry that sets the tone before the title track takes over. “Masterpiece” itself runs 3:51 and earns its name — it’s the emotional core of the record, Lenker’s voice doing the heavy lifting.
“Vegas” is a shorter, sharper piece at 2:19, and “Real Love” follows at 4:17, the longest stretch of melody on the front half of the record. “Interstate” and “Lorraine” keep things moving at 3:24 and 1:53 respectively; “Lorraine” is one of the tracks critics singled out, and it shows why — it’s lean and direct.
“Paul” is the standout here, a 3:04 track that critics flagged as one of the record’s highlights. “Humans” and “Velvet Ring” follow without losing momentum, both under four minutes. Then comes “Animals,” a 2:59 burst that shifts the energy before the record’s back half.
“Randy” closes the strong run — 3:09, one of the tracks critics flagged, and it lands as one of the album’s best moments. “Parallels” ends the record at 4:23, a fitting closer that ties the whole thing together.
The Back Half
The middle stretch is where Masterpiece loses some steam. “Interstate,” “Velvet Ring” and “Animals” are competent but less distinctive than the album’s highlights. “Humans” is the weakest link — it’s fine, but it doesn’t demand attention the way the record’s best moments do.
The final two tracks pick things back up. “Randy” is a clear highlight, and “Parallels” closes the record on a note that feels earned after everything that came before it.
What Works
The album’s strength is its focus. Lenker’s writing is sharp throughout, and the band knows exactly when to let her sing and when to pull back. The tracks that critics singled out — “Paul,” “Lorraine,” “Randy” and “Real Love” — are the clearest evidence of that focus.
The record isn’t perfect. The middle stretch drags, and “Humans” is a real misstep. But the highs are high enough that the lows don’t sink the whole project.
Key Facts
– Artist: Big Thief
– Album: Masterpiece
– Year: 2016
– Tracks: 12
– Running time: 37 minutes
– Metacritic: 79/100
Track List
| # | Track | Time |
|—|——-|——|
| 1 | Little Arrow | 1:58 |
| 2 | Masterpiece | 3:51 |
| 3 | Vegas | 2:19 |
| 4 | Real Love | 4:17 |
| 5 | Interstate | 3:24 |
| 6 | Lorraine | 1:53 |
| 7 | Paul | 3:04 |
| 8 | Humans | 3:23 |
| 9 | Velvet Ring | 2:36 |
| 10 | Animals | 2:59 |
| 11 | Randy | 3:09 |
| 12 | Parallels | 4:23 |
Masterpiece is a record that knows what it wants to be. It’s a collection of Lenker’s strongest writing, arranged with care, and it mostly succeeds. The middle stretch drags, and “Humans” is a real low point, but the highs — “Paul,” “Lorraine,” “Randy” and “Real Love” — are memorable enough to carry the whole thing. This is a solid album from a band at its peak, with a few rough spots that don’t sink it.
- Little Arrow1:58
- Masterpiece3:51
- Vegas2:19
- Real Love4:17
- Interstate3:24
- Lorraine1:53
- Paul3:04
- Humans3:23
- Velvet Ring2:36
- Animals2:59
- Randy3:09
- Parallels4:23
