Waxahatchee - Cerulean Salt (22/08/2013)
We’ve all been to one of those intimate gigs, where a talented musician sits alone on stage, strumming their guitar and pouring their heart out to a transfixed audience. For Waxahatchee’s sophomore album, Cerulean Salt, that’s exactly what it is, minus the physical presence.
After playing with her twin sister, Waxahatchee mastermind Katie Crutchfield, has embraced the life of a solo musician and the overwhelming adoration that comes with it. Following on from her debut release American Weekend Crutchfield has thrown away her folk twangs and opted for a rocker chick vibe, giving her tales of life’s failures the brutal intensity that they require.
As soon as Hollow Bedroom starts off you get a sense for Waxahatchee’s new sound. Crutchfield softly enunciates as a guitar quietly strums away. The guitar slowly builds and so does the raspy quality that comes with it.
In a soft drawl Crutchfield muses along to the playful pop beat that is Lips and Limbs. Tamborine rhythmically flows through the song and Crutchfield’s failed relationships take another turn in the spotlight. Don’t be deceived by the happy nature of the song, it isn’t as it seems.
Juxtaposed beautifully against Lips and Limbs, Blue Pt II introduces a sombre sound to the album. Crutchfield sounds tired and broken, as she sings about giving up completely to someone, “If you think that I’ll wait forever you were right and I’d give you everything you wanted if I can”. It’s short and sweet, and leaves you wanting to have a serious D’n’M with Crutchfield.
Throughout the album Crutchfield wavers between the depths of despair and exhaustion, to the fits of rage. These emotions perfectly cover those felt in dysfunctional relationships, which is a frequently visited topic for the album. Brother Bryan, Waiting and Dixie Cups and Jars are a few of Crutchfield’s angrier tracks.
Throughout Cerulean Salt, Crutchfield tells the tale of adolescent youth, failed relationships and the turmoil of traveling on the road. In Coast to Coast we can only assume she talks about her experiences travelling in her band P.S Eliot, “We lay at night, cursing our stage fright”. Crutchfield’s honesty is unparalleled and paired with the upbeat pop-ish sound, Coast to Coast serves as a standout on the album.
Much like Waxahatchee’s older songs, Tangled Envisioning starts of with just guitar and Crutchfield’s soothing voice. The track is slow and full of emotion as Crutchfield muses with a raspy, hollow, emotive voice.
As you soon come to realise there isn’t a huge onslaught of instruments used in Cerulean Salt, and the simple answer is that it isn’t needed. The champion of the album is clearly Crutchfield’s emotional resonance that she exerts in every song. That’s why when the drumbeat starts in Misery Over Dispute, you realise just how much it alters her sound. A raspy, tinny guitar sweeps through the rest of track, Crutchfield sounds as if she’s yelling in a whisper, harnessing so much anger but never really loosing control.
For the last few songs of the album the tracks, for the most part, slow down considerably. A poetic and gently strummed song is delivered in Lively, as in Swan Dive but slightly uplifted. Then sneaks in Peace and Quiet, with its accusatory tone and layering of vocals, it becomes the standout track for the album. The track harnesses Crutchfield’s anger heard earlier but in a more accessible form. This is the first, and possibly the only, track on that album that can really be sung along to and played out loud.
You’re Damaged slows things down with a heartfelt acoustic substance. Crutchfield’s vocals sound raw and broken, but only in the best possible way. It’s clear that as Cerulean Salt slows to a close, Crutchfield has an impressive ability of projecting her emotion through her vocals. You come away feeling that you’ve experienced every up and down that she has. This is an extremely sought after ability in the music industry and Crutchfield achieves it perfectly.
Amanda Sherring
After playing with her twin sister, Waxahatchee mastermind Katie Crutchfield, has embraced the life of a solo musician and the overwhelming adoration that comes with it. Following on from her debut release American Weekend Crutchfield has thrown away her folk twangs and opted for a rocker chick vibe, giving her tales of life’s failures the brutal intensity that they require.
As soon as Hollow Bedroom starts off you get a sense for Waxahatchee’s new sound. Crutchfield softly enunciates as a guitar quietly strums away. The guitar slowly builds and so does the raspy quality that comes with it.
In a soft drawl Crutchfield muses along to the playful pop beat that is Lips and Limbs. Tamborine rhythmically flows through the song and Crutchfield’s failed relationships take another turn in the spotlight. Don’t be deceived by the happy nature of the song, it isn’t as it seems.
Juxtaposed beautifully against Lips and Limbs, Blue Pt II introduces a sombre sound to the album. Crutchfield sounds tired and broken, as she sings about giving up completely to someone, “If you think that I’ll wait forever you were right and I’d give you everything you wanted if I can”. It’s short and sweet, and leaves you wanting to have a serious D’n’M with Crutchfield.
Throughout the album Crutchfield wavers between the depths of despair and exhaustion, to the fits of rage. These emotions perfectly cover those felt in dysfunctional relationships, which is a frequently visited topic for the album. Brother Bryan, Waiting and Dixie Cups and Jars are a few of Crutchfield’s angrier tracks.
Throughout Cerulean Salt, Crutchfield tells the tale of adolescent youth, failed relationships and the turmoil of traveling on the road. In Coast to Coast we can only assume she talks about her experiences travelling in her band P.S Eliot, “We lay at night, cursing our stage fright”. Crutchfield’s honesty is unparalleled and paired with the upbeat pop-ish sound, Coast to Coast serves as a standout on the album.
Much like Waxahatchee’s older songs, Tangled Envisioning starts of with just guitar and Crutchfield’s soothing voice. The track is slow and full of emotion as Crutchfield muses with a raspy, hollow, emotive voice.
As you soon come to realise there isn’t a huge onslaught of instruments used in Cerulean Salt, and the simple answer is that it isn’t needed. The champion of the album is clearly Crutchfield’s emotional resonance that she exerts in every song. That’s why when the drumbeat starts in Misery Over Dispute, you realise just how much it alters her sound. A raspy, tinny guitar sweeps through the rest of track, Crutchfield sounds as if she’s yelling in a whisper, harnessing so much anger but never really loosing control.
For the last few songs of the album the tracks, for the most part, slow down considerably. A poetic and gently strummed song is delivered in Lively, as in Swan Dive but slightly uplifted. Then sneaks in Peace and Quiet, with its accusatory tone and layering of vocals, it becomes the standout track for the album. The track harnesses Crutchfield’s anger heard earlier but in a more accessible form. This is the first, and possibly the only, track on that album that can really be sung along to and played out loud.
You’re Damaged slows things down with a heartfelt acoustic substance. Crutchfield’s vocals sound raw and broken, but only in the best possible way. It’s clear that as Cerulean Salt slows to a close, Crutchfield has an impressive ability of projecting her emotion through her vocals. You come away feeling that you’ve experienced every up and down that she has. This is an extremely sought after ability in the music industry and Crutchfield achieves it perfectly.
Amanda Sherring