Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud

Over the course of her career as Waxahatchee Katie Crutchfield has developed a strong and singular voice as one of alternative indie’s finest songwriters. She has a reputation built on tender and evocative storytelling tempered with a biting edge but on her fifth album ‘Saint Cloud’ she reaches a new level by stripping things back and delivering her finest set of songs yet.

Born out of a period of newfound sobriety and contentment the album is a reflective collection that avoids any of the heavy rocky hooks of her last two albums in favour of a beautifully considered and satisfying acoustic country sound that really brings out the best qualities in her voice and melodies.

Songs like ‘The Eye’ and the countrified waltz of ‘Arkadelphia’ harken back to the sparse sounds of her debut and it’s almost as if things have come full circle in Katie Crutchfield’s journey. ‘Saint Cloud’ feels like the validation of a decade of supremely beautiful songwriting and is the work of someone newly at peace with themselves and assured in the quality of their beautifully exquisite songs.

Martyn Young