Saint Cloud (Vinyl)

Waxahatchee’s Saint Cloud is an unflinching self-examination whose raw, exposed narrative terrain is aided by a shift in sonic arrangements.

While her last two records (Out in the Storm and Ivy Tripp) featured the kind of big guitars, well-honed noise, and battering sounds that characterised her Philadelphia scene and strongly influenced a burgeoning new class of singer-songwriters, Saint Cloud strips back those layers to create space for Katie Crutchfield’s voice and lyrics.

After years of extensive touring and multiple album releases, Crutchfield found herself at a crossroads. Struggling with alcoholism, her struggles became evident during the promotional tour for Out in the Storm (2017) and came to ahead during a performance at Primavera Sound in Barcelona, where she decided to embrace sobriety.

As a result, Saint Cloud's lyricism draws heavily from the influence of Lucinda Williams, with its themes centred around addiction, codependency, and personal reckoning. Crutchfield named both the album and its title track after St. Cloud, Florida, the small town near Orlando where her father grew up.

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.

Includes a foldout poster and full download.