From her birthplace on a Vermont sheep farm to Beirut cafés, Cairo apartments and Austin recording studios, Anaïs Mitchell has been around. Therefore, it’s no surprise that The Brightness—Mitchell’s Righteous Babe debut—is infused with the restless, worldly spirit of a troubadour. Over the course of 11 songs, listeners are transported to Bethlehem and the Virginia countryside; they bathe in New Mexico moonlight and hear the world whizzing by from the inside of a hobo’s train car.

Mitchell spins stories about forgotten old poets, jilted lovers and the three wise men, making each one a distinct chapter of one cohesive work. Her lyrics tackle the personal and political with equal aplomb, often blurring the lines between the two. In fact, thin lines are a recurring theme in her music, whether it’s between friends and lovers, religion and violence, or prosperity and pain. On The Brightness, Anaïs Mitchell is going somewhere, and you’re invited to come along. Chances are it’s a trip you won’t soon forget.