The Weather Station’s Humanhood is an album that feels alive—shifting, unpredictable, and deeply human. Tamara Lindeman’s record immediately captured my attention; coaxing me in with raw emotion and curious exploration. Its layered textures and shifting rhythms, Humanhood mirrors the confusion and unease of the last few years. Through this work, Tamara is offering us a space to reflect on a world that’s caught in a fugue state.

The Weather Station, the project of Canadian singer-songwriter Tamara Lindeman, has long been celebrated for its ability to blend genres and defy expectations. Since its inception, Lindeman has shifted from folk roots to avant-garde explorations, most notably on 2021’s Ignorance, which tackled themes of climate grief and personal introspection. Humanhood builds on this legacy, drawing from folk, jazz, rock, and electronic influences to create a body of work that is deeply personal and universally resonant. Written during a time of profound upheaval in Lindeman’s life, the album captures her journey from dissociation to connection, transcribing the
emotional disarray into an intricately layered, near-continuous piece of music.

The opening notes of “Descent,” immerses the listener in its dense, textured world. This track flows seamlessly into “Neon Signs,” where Lindeman’s airy, almost confessional vocals drift over brooding instrumentation. The song encapsulates the album’s central themes: emotional disconnection, existential confusion, and the search for meaning in chaos. “Window” picks up the tempo with a driving energy, while “Passage” offers a brief but striking interlude, its alien-like electronic tones evoking the sensation of searching for clarity amidst static.

The album’s variety is one of its greatest strengths. Tracks like “Body Moves” lean into jazz, with saxophones, pianos, and intricate percussion creating an improvisational, freeform feel. In contrast, “Ribbon” strips things back, pairing Lindeman’s harmonized vocals with a melodic piano line to create a moment of quiet introspection. The title track, “Humanhood,” merges experimental jazz elements with unexpected touches like banjo, embodying the album’s spirit of unpredictability.

“Irretrievable Damage” stands out as a haunting centerpiece. Its spoken-word poetry is almost buried beneath layers of experimental jazz, creating a sense of being overwhelmed and lost in the noise—an intentional reflection of the emotional landscape Lindeman navigates throughout the album. In sharp contrast, “Lonely” is a devastatingly beautiful ballad, its stark vulnerability cutting straight to the heart. The closing track, “Sewing,” ends the journey with haunting piano notes and poetic imagery, circling back to the album’s opening themes and leaving the listener with a sense of lingering unease.

What makes Humanhood remarkable is its ability to balance complexity with accessibility. The album shifts seamlessly between organic and synthetic textures, blending genres, instruments, and emotions with an improvisational yet intentional touch. It’s ever-changing, mirroring life’s unpredictability, asking the listener to sit with discomfort and find beauty within it.

Pre-order Humanhood by The Weather Station HERE