The innate corruption of human beings in turn, corrupts the world around us. We pollute the air and make it unbreathable. We pollute the water and have it become undrinkable. We bomb the land and make it uninhabitable. Despite our vices, some small and minute while others overwhelmingly evil, many are taught to believe in the love of an omnipresent being — but what happens when those vices start to catch up?

While Mitski’s seventh studio album, The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We, doesn’t provide any type of resolution to the haunting question, it is able to zero in on the inner conflict that comes with any faith through various facets of the raw, gritty human experience. Its 11 tracks with a runtime of 32:22 concisely narrates the unequivocal self-struggle with religion.

Straight from its title, the album critiques the state of the land and people. Although a statement, it raises questions of unsustainability — not only environmentally but also regarding self-worth — and a looming demise.

The album’s opener, “Bug Like an Angel,” begins with the quiet strumming of a guitar and an equally quiet Mitski. Her voice is smooth and her tone remains apathetic, well-representing of the cyclical suffering that is alcoholism. Very blatantly she sings, “As I got older, I learned I’m a drinker. Sometimes, a drink feels like family.” Immediately, the choir in the backtrack sets the stage for a gospel-folk fusion.

It also touches upon two of the seven sins — as do several tracks in the album — specifically wrath and sloth. The former sin comes out towards the end when she sings “I try to remember, the wrath of the devil was also given him by God.” Viewing themselves as the devil, the song’s voice blames God for their addiction and yet themselves for not having the strength to break out of it — which is where the sin of the sloth comes to play.

Gluttony shines in “I Don’t Like My Mind” which may be a rather insensitive way to approach the gorging of cake as she sings “And on an inconvenient Christmas, I eat a cake. A whole cake, all for me.” The struggle is clear, the pain is imminent. Her reverbed wails against the bouncy piano and drums at nearly 150 beats per minute effectively instill the self-loathing it presents.

Further down the track list, “The Deal” focuses quite literally on regretting a deal with a devil-like antagonist out of greed, while “The Frost” is — ironically — able to capture pride while in an inhospitable, apocalyptic setting, where the song’s voice is left all alone, with no one to witness the ruins before them.

There is agony. There is guilt. There is fear similar to the way a child hides under the covers akin to an invisibility cloak shielding them from repercussions from their parents. Still, however damning the album may present itself to be, subtle glimpses of profound love hide between all the hopelessness.

Much of the album speaks to the person who cannot bring themselves to worship the way they once did — partly due to the weight of questioning faith and partly because of pure shame. Yet, “My Love Mine All Mine” brings forth a new perspective; it expresses the love we’ve been told exists in religion. The airiness sway of the two guitars on the track not only envelop you in a warm hug, but they help Mitski effectively situate herself in the folk, near-country, genre which is far different from her staple indie fans have grown accustomed to over the years.

Mitski’s seventh studio album is cohesive in sound and makes for a seamless transition from one track to the next. Genre-jumping always invites an unpredictable reception, but she was able to successfully stay afloat despite a dive into the deep end. Songs of addiction to self-loathing, loneliness to wholesome love and more all blend in a carefully curated concoction of complete ascent. While it criticizes divinity, it, in itself, is divine.

The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We leaves listeners with a final, challenging thought. One that may be blasphemous to think, let alone speak: Is God indeed all-powerful while simultaneously able to love all his children? For if he dictates life and intentionally perpetuates suffering then he cannot be all-loving and if he is unable to eradicate suffering, then he cannot be all-powerful.