This is not to say that Saint Cloud lacks Crutchfield's signature poetry on matters of romantic love. Coming from a songwriter long accustomed to looking in other directions for love, it's a stirring moment when Crutchfield sings, "I take it for granted/If I could love you unconditionally/I could iron out the edges of the darkest sky." This coalesces most clearly on "Fire," which she says was literally written in transit, during a drive over the Mississippi River into West Memphis, and serves as a love song to herself, a paean to moving past shame into a place of unconditional self-acceptance. Many of the narratives on Saint Cloud concern addiction and the havoc it wreaks on ourselves and our loved ones, as Crutchfield comes to a deeper understanding of love not only for those around her but for herself. It feels a little more calm and less reckless."
Reflecting on this, she says, "I think all of my records are turbulent and emotional, but this one feels like it has a little dose of enlightenment. On Saint Cloud, Crutchfield adds a new sense of perspective to her travels. The result is a classic Americana sound with modern touches befitting an artist who has emerged as one of the signature storytellers of her time.įrom the origins of her band name-the beloved creek behind her childhood home-to scene-setting classics like "Noccalula" and "Sparks Fly," listening to Waxahatchee has always felt like being invited along on a journey with a steely-eyed navigator. While her last two records ( Out in the Storm, Ivy Tripp) featured the kind of big guitars, well-honed noise, and battering sounds that characterized her Philadelphia scene and strongly influenced a burgeoning new class of singer-songwriters, Saint Cloud strips back those layers to create space for Crutchfield's voice and lyrics. This raw, exposed narrative terrain is aided by a shift in sonic arrangements as well. From a moment of reckoning in Barcelona to a tourist trap in Tennessee to a painful confrontation on Arkadelphia Road, from a nostalgic jaunt down 7th Street in New York City to the Mississippi Gulf, Crutchfield creates a sense of place for her soul-baring tales, a longtime staple of her storytelling. Written immediately in the period following her decision to get sober, Saint Cloud is an unflinching self-examination. If I can accept that I only have a partial view of the universe and that I can't know everything or control much of anything, then I can breathe a little easier, take better care of myself, and be closer to my own truth." If I can love myself unconditionally, then I can move through the world a little easier. It's meant to be a bit of a personal pep talk. It's about the internal dialogue of shame surrounding mistakes you've made in the past and how we spiral and beat ourselves up when we slip. Of the song, Crutchfield says, "The idea and melody for 'Fire' were dreamt up while driving over the Mississippi River from Memphis into West Memphis, AR, the sun reflecting off the water which literally made West Memphis glow. Saint Cloud is available for pre-order on CD, standard LP in a single jacket, and coke bottle-clear Peak Vinyl housed in a gatefold jacket (both vinyl editions include a large full-color poster) in the Merge store, or wherever records are sold. Along with today's exciting news come spring tour dates and a music video for lead song " Fire," giving fans an early preview of what they can expect on this groundbreaking record. Waxahatchee (aka Katie Crutchfield) has announced her new album, Saint Cloud, to be released on March 27 via Merge Records. 4/14 - Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer *Ĥ/17 - Providence, RI Columbus Theatre *Ĥ/24 - Saxapahaw, NC Haw River Ballroom *Ĥ/29 - Baton Rouge, LA Mid City Ballroom *ĥ/7 - Pioneertown, CA Pappy and Harriet's +ĥ/8 - Los Angeles, CA First Congregational Church of LA +ĥ/9 - San Francisco, CA The Castro Theatreĥ/10 - Sonoma, CA Gundlach Bundschu Winery +ĥ/14 - Vancouver, BC Christ Church Cathedral +ĥ/15 - Seattle, WA The Neptune Theatre +ĥ/20 - Maquoketa, IA Codfish Hollow Barnĥ/21 - Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Music Cafe *
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