Keep driving straight searching for a heart of gold

Continuing my trip up The Guardian's Best Albums of 2020 list...

#6 : Saint Cloud - Waxahatchee


Katie Crutchfield cited alt-country pioneer Lucinda Williams as a crucial influence on Saint Cloud, but the spectre of a more conventional giant is equally hard to ignore. These songs truly deserve the descriptor Dylanesque, not just for their stylistic nods but for their quality. There is something profoundly restorative about Saint Cloud’s back-to-basics, largely analogue approach; its reliance on subtle, wending melodies and guitar licks that resound with dog-eared familiarity. And Crutchfield’s acceptance of the inevitable seems spookily prescient given that she made the album last year. Saint Cloud provides no tritely optimistic spin on this state of affairs, yet still radiates a soothing, cathartic and bittersweet joy.

I'd never heard of her and I couldn't pronounce her, so it's fair to say expectations were minimal.  And this was certainly an interesting one - at first listen, I'd have to agree with The Guardian's description of "Dylanesque".  Not quite in the way that they meant though - I quite liked some of the songs,  but I just found her vocal style so annoying that I really struggle to get beyond that.  So in this case, a second listen was definitely required - and it definitely improved matters, but I'm not sure we're entirely there yet.  But there are some very good songs on here, well played with strong lyrics backed by a simple but effective melody - I particularly liked "Can't Do Much" and "Hell".  

Wikipedia tells me the album relates to her struggles with alcoholism and I'd agreed there is a sense of struggle to some of the songs, but more weary acceptance in others.  And that's pretty much all it has to say about it, other than that people liked it on their end of year lists.  It doesn't have a lot more to say about her either, other than point out that she grew up in Waxahatchee Creek - could a place sound more US Deep South if it tried?  "Customers also listened to" a load of people I've never heard of - I'd say Gillian Welch is probably the closest touchpoint I'm aware of.  Overall, it's a strong album and definitely worth checking out if you like that sort of thing - I'm intrigued and might check out some of her other stuff if I can get beyond my problems with her voice.

#7 - In the top 3 of the year for me
#5 - Sounds good, but not great

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