Ethel Cain - Willoughby Tucker, I’Ll Always Love You Ethel Cain

Having gained cult status with the otherworldly Preacher’s Daughter, Hayden Silas Anhedönia shocked everyone with her next Ethel Cain release - the surprise drop of Perverts; a 90 minute dark drone descent into the underworld.

Whilst it made sense with the context of artists that she was inspired by and working with at the time (e.g. Scott Barley and Midwife), its deviation from her gloomy-folk roots set a number of cats amongst pop-preferring pigeons. Fortunately, Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You swiftly emerged to reclaim Anhedönia’s place as a deserving indie darling.

Ostensibly a prequel to Preacher’s Daughter, this second album proper returns to the shadowy, yet melodic strands that first put her on the map. The production has been ramped up, with her airy vocals mic’d up close and personal, whilst the drums boom out into cavernous spaces as if recorded in a cathedral. The residue of previous releases can be found within the increasingly unsettling themes and the extended durations, with the epic grandeur of the album’s one-two finale creeping in at a combined length of 25 minutes. It’s a vast and impactful offering from a unique talent who seems to pour every ounce of her personality into her deep, thoughtful, and ultimately heartbreaking indie pop.