Katie Crutchfield's second Waxahatchee record, Cerulean Salt, takes the bedroom folk of American Weekend and pushes it into a basement with a band. The songs are still built on that sharp, conversational poetry she's got, but now they've got fuzzy guitars pushing through 'Coast to Coast' and real drums anchoring 'Misery Over Dispute'. It's 2013, it's from Kansas City, and it's a step forward from the stripped-down debut without losing the intimacy.
The full band means the 90s indie rock influence is louder here. Keith Spencer and Kyle Gilbride play drums and bass, and the whole thing was recorded by Gilbride. But the quiet moments still hit hardest. 'Blue Pt. II' is just Crutchfield and her sister Alison singing together, deadpan and close. 'Swan Dive' stays minimal, a chirpy riff and double-time tapping under all that nostalgia and regret. The closer 'You're Damaged' is an acoustic guitar reflection that might be the best thing she's written.
This is for people who liked the first record but wanted more muscle. For anyone who misses the early 2010s lo-fi indie scene, or who just wants to hear someone write honestly about family and transience and self-doubt without dressing it up. It's patchy in places, but the good songs are really good.
