Song of the Day: Mitski - Your Best American Girl

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on The Morning Show with John Richards, is “Your Best American Girl” by Mitski from her 2016 album, Puberty 2, on Dead Oceans.

Mitski – Your Best American Girl (MP3)

Born in Japan and raised all over the world, Mitski is a New York-based indie-rocker with a powerful and nostalgic sound. She self-released her first two albums, Lush (2012) and Retired from Sad, New Career in Business (2013) ,while studying composition at SUNY Purchase. Her 2014 release on Double Double Whammy, Bury Me at Makeout Creek, is the album that put her on the map, earning her attention from Pitchfork, The New York Times, and Rolling Stone, who included her on a 2015 list of “10 Artists You Need to Know.” Her newest album, Puberty 2, is earning similar acclaim.  While Mitski’s technical training is evident, her music feels organic and emotional, not contrived. Embracing the kind of fuzzy feedback and power chords that were the calling card of 90’s American Alt-Rock (a deliberate juxtaposition to her culturally nonconformist lyrics), “Your Best American Girl” is about reluctantly letting go of a lover because they’re just too different. While distinctly specific to her own life, it evokes a feeling most people can relate to.

Currently on tour, Mitski stopped through Seattle in July. (Read our review here.) She’ll be in Europe in September and October, then back to the US for a few more shows on the East Coast in November.  Keep track of her on her website and Facebook page. For now, watch the official music video for “Your Best American Girl” below.