Waxahatchee
“Waxahatchee + Chris Clavin” Split EP
(Plan It X)

There’s an appealing naïveté to Katie Crutchfield’s musical projects, whether it’s the storytelling whimsy of PS Eliot or the brash punk rock attitude of Bad Banana, Crutchfield’s lyrics against melodic chords is the stuff that would make Kim Gordon go green with envy. For her solo endeavor, Waxahatchee, Crutchfield goes back to basics – vocals and guitar.

Her first release under this moniker is a split cassette with Chris Clavin and despite its rather lofi quality, retains all its pop glory. “Black Candy” is Crutchfield at one of her seemingly honest moments (through song, anyway). The tape’s opening track, “Sister Saint” could easily be electric, but as a stripped down song, it’s relatively haunting in a Red House Painters way.

I’ve long been a fan of Crutchfield’s songwriting, particularly the charm that PS Eliot’s lofi demo and Bad Banana’s full-length, but I’m curious to hear what Waxahatchee would sound like if it were cleaned up a bit.

— Ryan Pangilinan