Album Review: Waxahatchee – Out In The Storm
2 min read
Alabama native Katie Crutchfield has been making introspective, confessional indie rock for several years under the Waxahatchee moniker. Recruiting her twin sister Alison, and Sleater-Kinney touring guitarist Katie Harkin, Out In The Storm finds Crutchfield embracing a more full-bodied sound than in her previous work.
Its reverb-drenched sonics steering Crutchfield’s emotionally direct lyrics, OITS is the perfect album to cruise the highway while recovering from a breakup. The moody organ-led Recite Remorse tells the broken-hearted tale of two lovers in the city, (“I always gravitate toward / Those who are unimpressed”), as she wears her heart on her sleeve over a spaced-out, delicate melody.
Crutchfield skillfully varies the tempo throughout the album, from slow and simple acoustic numbers like the pretty Fade and A Little More, to the more upbeat power pop of lead single Silver. Here, her lyrical delivery – a mellow hum – sits atop a power-punk anthem recalling her absent lover. He pops up consistently throughout the album, and Crutchfield’s lyrics excellently sketch out the failed relationship: “I laid down next to you / For three years shedding my skin / Dreaming about the potential / The person I could have been”.
In its sonic tapestry and dreamy production (courtesy of Dinosaur Jr producer John Agnello), OITS has a gauzy, otherworldly feel throughout. Your enjoyment of the album will very much depend on your taste for this vaguely 90’s dream pop atmosphere. Crutchfield’s voice sometimes veers towards an affected indie croon, but she nonetheless has crafted an honest and raw record that will delight existing fans, and introduce her to a new audience eager for more.
