Photo: Michael Hickey/Getty Images Earlier this month, the incomparable indie rock songwriter Mitski released her fifth album, Be the Cowboy . On it, slinky disco and country twinges intermingle with her ever-discerning ear for bringing revealing characters to life. It’s a huge a sonic leap for a songwriter who, since 2012’s Lush, has shown that she possesses a preternatural ability to encapsulate the messiness of growing up, falling in and out of love — and trying to find a foothold within a constant whiplash of changing people in a shifting world. In celebration of the new album, we’ve selected ten brilliant songs from her growing catalogue that illustrate her singular gifts for wordplay and songwriting. “Fireproof” Mitski’s been known to pepper unexpected and sensational covers in her live sets (I’m still thinking about her rendition of “How Deep Is Your Love?”). But last year, she recorded a distortion-laden cover of One Direction’s “Fireproof” for the First 100 Days benefit compilation. It’s endlessly listenable, much like the original, but in a completely different way: What was originally an effervescent song becomes an absolute barnburner with Mitski’s touch. “Once More to See You” On the bass-driven “Once More to See You,” Mitski delivers a heartbreaking ode to grappling with a love that’s in stalemate. She and her beloved fear judgment from the world if they make their love known (“we do have reputations,” she says) but are incapable of being alone together. At once, this secret is a shared bond and a burden: “If you would let me give you pinky promise kisses / Then I wouldn’t have to scream your name atop of every roof in the city of my heart.” “Dan the Dancer” The breakneck “Dan the Dancer” puts two of Mitski’s great talents — for buoyant wordplay and taking on the perspective of a new character — front and center. She introduces the titular Dan as someone having “very long limbs, from leading day to day,” then details … [Read more...] about 10 Mitski Songs to Listen to If You Liked Her New Album,