It's like sitting in a sunny kitchen while two of the best songwriters alive practice their new songs.
A gentle, sun-dappled intimacy that feels both deeply private and welcoming.
Released in 2014, a-sides is a collaborative EP by Adrianne Lenker and Buck Meek, recorded several years before they achieved international acclaim as members of Big Thief. The project serves as a foundational text for their creative partnership, showcasing the intricate, interlocking guitar styles and vocal harmonies that would become a hallmark of their later work. Unlike Lenker's more harrowing solo efforts like 'abysskiss' or 'songs', this EP leans into a gentler, more traditional folk sensibility. The tracks are largely character-driven, with titles like 'Jonathan', 'Kerina', and 'Miss Misty' suggesting a collection of portraits. Recorded with extreme minimalism, the EP highlights the duo's ability to create a full, resonant sound using only two acoustic instruments. It remains a fan favorite for its raw, unpolished beauty and its glimpse into the early development of one of modern indie folk's most significant voices.
Put this on for
Dust motes dancing in a single beam of morning lightTea cooling on the table while you watch the rainQuiet passenger seat observation on a backroads driveFloorboards creaking in an empty house you just moved intoSharing a single pair of headphones with a trusted friendFirst frost on the window and the heater hasn't kicked in yetWriting a letter you know you will never actually mail
Moments worth waiting for
The interlocking guitar work on Jonathan where two distinct parts become a single rhythmic pulse.
The hushed vocal harmonies on Money that feel like a shared secret between the two performers.
The sudden, sharp intake of breath before the final verse of I Still Hear You.
Sounds like
2014s production with a 2010s soul
Sits beside
B-Sides - Adrianne Lenker & Buck Meek, The Crane Wife - The Decemberists, Seven Swans - Sufjan Stevens, Ballad of the Broken Seas - Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan
Lyrical territory
storytelling, love_romantic, nostalgia
03Deviation
a-sides · vs · Adrianne Lenker
Artist
This Album
Storytelling
Lyrics · ↑ +4% more than usual
On this album, storytelling sits about 4% more prominent than across the rest of the artist's catalogue.
