Abysskiss (stylized in all lowercase) is the third solo studio album by Adrianne Lenker, released through Saddle Creek Records on October 5, 2018.[1] The album was recorded at Panoramic Studio in West Marin, California with Luke Temple and Gabe Wax, who respectively handled production and engineering duties.[2] The album consists of ten songs conceived while touring with Big Thief. The tracks "Terminal Paradise" and "From" were given a full band arrangement on Big Thief's album, U.F.O.F., released in 2019.[3]
Release
Abysskiss was announced on August 7, 2018.[4] "Cradle" was released as a single the same day.[5] "Symbol" was released as a single on September 12, 2018.[6] "From" was released as the final single, three days before the album's release.[7]Abysskiss was released by Saddle Creek Records on October 5, 2018.[8] The music video for "Symbol", featuring Lenker performing the track on the boardwalk of Coney Island, was released on November 29, 2018.[9]
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Abysskiss received an average score of 83 based on 14 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[11] Jayson Greene of Pitchfork gave Abysskiss an 8 out of 10 rating, writing, "The shared secrets of intimacy, the buried secrets of family, the impenetrable secrets of nature—they all swirl like sediment in a wine glass. abysskiss thrums quietly with the unease of these secrets, of mingled trauma and love."[18] Lizzie Manno of Paste gave the album an 8.5 out of 10 rating, writing, "Providing newfound comfort and warm familiarity, abysskiss is a record that will quickly find its way into your heart and slowly caress your soul."[20]
In his four-star review for VultureHound, Jake Doolin noted Lenker's ability to find "new ways of making her instruments sing", while also praising Temple's "stripped back production".[21] Adam Turner-Heffer of Drowned in Sound gave the album a 9 out of 10 rating, writing, "Nothing feels disingenuous about Lenker’s story or approach or music, which anyone who has witnessed Big Thief’s surprisingly upbeat and even humorous stage personas – at odds with their reasonably heavy music – can attest. Lenker is an incredible talent."[13]
