WAXAHATCHEE Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Waxahatchee's American Weekend is a masterclass in minimalist folk, featuring simple chord progressions and raw, heartfelt lyrics. Recorded with a raw, lo-fi aesthetic, the album predominantly showcases acoustic guitar and vocals, with occasional embellishments like tambourine and out-of-tune piano adding texture. The stripped-down production places the focus squarely on the lyrical content, which is delivered with apathetic sincerity by the narrator. The album's themes of emotional dependency and introspection are exemplified in tracks like 'Noccalula,' where the narrator grapples with the need for emotional connection amidst feelings of isolation. Despite its simplicity, the album is not without its moments of catchiness and beauty, reminiscent of Elliott Smith's work. Overall, American Weekend is a poignant exploration of the human experience, offering a unique sense of comfort for those navigating the complexities of emotion.

Review: Waxahatchee, the solo project of Alabama-born and Kansas City-based Katie Crutchfield, returns with her most confident and resilient album to date. Boosted by lead single '365', shortly followed by 'Right Back To It' and 'Bored', Tigers Blood follows an avowed 'hot hand spell' experienced by the artist while on tour at the end of 2022. But despite the enjoyment, Tigers Blood emotes in many different directions, dealing in every theme from codependency to ennui - that is, between the cracks of joy. A contemporary alt-country rock delight, Tigers Blood hears Waxahatchee do pop music right.

Review: Waxahatchee is emerging, butterfly like, from a cocoon that has kept her safe for most of her career. There was nothing ugly or hidden about Katie Crutchfield's older output. But it was intimate, quiet, thoughtful, vulnerable and, at times, almost a little nervous. At least some of those adjectives became irrelevant with the last LP, Saint Cloud, and now she follows up that ten-foot-tall 2020 triumph with Tigers Blood, continuing in a similar vein. Having significantly increased the size of her audience with the preceding, infinitely rousing record, Crutchfield simultaneously looks to please those newcomers and win even more over here. The tracks are similarly open armed, proud and accessible, but the razor sharp songwriting - dealing with everything from trying to stay still without being bored, to self doubt - has lost none of its impact, and the instrumental arrangements have arguably never been stronger.