Waxahatchee review – warm, rousing anthems about embracing change

O2 Forum Kentish Town, London
Katie Crutchfield and her band bask in a rolling sound with smoky twangs and divine harmonies, creating affinity among her fans by leaning into the lessons of mid-30s life

Waxahatchee’s fifth album, Saint Cloud, came out on 27 March 2020, arriving into a changed world. Having made her name on crunchy indie rock, here Katie Crutchfield’s embraced the country music of her Alabama youth, as well as the storytelling Americana of formative influence Lucinda Williams. It was a full band affair, richly produced and wistful, that was sorely deprived of its rightful live incarnation while gigs were off limits.

That April, a viral tweet from author Jia Tolentino perfectly summed up the experience that Crutchfield’s newly expanded fanbase was craving: “Just imagine … you’re standing in a big warm crowd, two songs into hearing this Waxahatchee album live, your friend wiggles back through next to you and hands you a beer, you say ‘thanks dog I got the next one,’ you take simultaneous sips and go on vibing :’)”