BIG THIEF Double Infinity (4AD) — The chorus of the Big Thief song “Words” insists, “Words are tired and tense/ Words don’t make sense/ Words are feathered and light/ Words won’t make it/ Right.” The idea that language is inadequate is directly countered by every lyric on Double Infinity, Big Thief’s first album after slimming down to the trio of Adrianne Lenker (guitar and lead vocals), Buck Meek (guitar), and James Krivchenia (percussion). Lenker’s intricate, evocative lyrics have long been the most formidable tool in Big Thief’s kit; it’s no small compliment to note that “Los Angeles” recalls peak Lucinda Williams, for instance. The new album fortifies those lyrics with music that is rich, unpredictable, and arguably more full-sounding than anything that Big Thief has previously put to record. The enhancements are sometimes relatively simple, such as the lithe electronic beat on “Incomprehensible,” and then there are other instances when it feels like the band is really striving for bold reinvention, as with the dense layering and studio effects on “No Fear.” Whatever the differences in sonic textures from track to track, the persistent quality is daring. And excellence is ever present, too. Go round and round with the following cuts: “All Night All Day,” “Double Infinity,” “Grandmother,” and “How Could I Have Known.”

SAINT ETIENNE International (Heavenly) — Saint Etienne release their first single in 1990. Thirty-five years later, they are calling it a career, leaving on their own terms with a delightful and danceable discography as their legacy. The U.K. trio’s final album, International, comes across less as a somber final statement than a jubilant victory lap. One last time, Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley, and Pete Wiggs are happy to show the world just what they can do. What they can do is deliver vibrant pop songs that seem downright effortless. The album begins with the jabbing, piquant “Glad” and doesn’t really let up. There’s the vintage hip hop beat on “Brand New Me” and the snaky, intense “Why Are You Calling” to keep the faithful pleased and guessing at the same time. There’s definitely a sense of retrospection to the album, as if the band is flipping through a photo album and beaming at all the snapshots of pop styles past. They sometimes give extra emphasis to different stops on their nostalgic turn, as when Nick Heyward is enlisted for guest vocals to fortify the nineteen-eighties Britpop vibe on “The Go Betweens.” The album closes with “The Last Time,” Cracknell gently intoning “For the very last time” as the groove spins to silence. It’s a fine and fitting sendoff. Break down borders with these tracks: “Sweet Melodies,” “Two Lovers,” and “He’s Gone.”