Ethel Cain : "Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You"

I learned about this artist from Chelsea Wolfe, so I decided to check out her new album. It's a very emotionally fragile take on indie folk. The opening track is very compelling and inspires me to stick around for more. Not as dark as Chelsea Wolfe, but you can hear where their sonic common ground is. There is a very natural feeling of atmosphere that the second song uses in a more expansive post-rock manner. Thematically, this is a prequel to her album "The Preacher's Daughter". 

"Fuck Me Eyes" is the second single that was released. It makes sense as it flows really well, and the melody is poppier than the first song. I would not call it dark, but introspective, and to be a concept album of sorts, there is an honesty to the narrative that is tangible. The electronic elements gather up to take the song away. Lyrically, is paints a wonderful picture. "Nettles" is the first single from the album, but it's just a wandering modern folk song and not as catchy as "Fuck Me Eyes," which is a better song, but it works for what it does, but what it does is not mind-blowing. Almost feels like a Phoebe Bridgers B-side. 

The sprawling seven and a half minute interludes are an interesting touch. They are long enough to count as songs, but for the purpose of this review, I am not going to, as it's clear to hear what her actual songs are. "Dust Bowl" does have a touch of the experimental ambiance to it, as she creates an ambient backdrop for the otherwise breathy introspection that ponders her early glimpses into sexuality. There is a lethargy to the way this song flows that creates a rainy-day melancholy. I love the effects on her voice and how the dynamic builds in this song. The post-rock creeping into things is a wonderful touch. 

"A Knock at the Door" has a hushed urgency to the pastoral manner it floats out. Though the vocals could carry more of the weight, rather than the sparse arrangement captured here. The album does lean heavily into the ambiance so much that some of the storytelling gets obscured by it. The instrumental interlude "Radio Towers" runs right into "Tempest," which finds her more ethereal vocals hovering into place. It rides a beautiful hypnotic drone that almost feels like it's from the '90s. I had to give the closing song "Waco, Texas" another listen, as it carries a similar ambiance that sprawls out with minimal percussion carrying the wave of fragile vocal speculation. I will give this album a 9.5 and see how it grows on me. Excellent songwriting when she commits to it, but it is more about the mood, which works here as a powerful mood conveyed. 

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