This Waxahatchee album, Tiger’s Blood, has been on repeat for me for the past year. The vibe and the lyrics have such a soothing quality to them. Very thoughtful and nostalgic, with plenty of distance to ponder.
Katie Crutchfield is an excellent songwriter, and this album places her writing under the spotlight and her vocal front and center.
A few of the songs have harmonies and guitar from MJ Lenderman, another excellent young songwriter. Most notable of these is the hit track “Right Back To It”, but he’s also featured on the title track, “Tiger’s Blood.”
My personal favorite is “Crowbar.” I think this song is about a failed relationship, but it reminds me a lot of writing, and creative pursuits in general. She draws that metaphor, almost presenting the relationship as a written story, with tension and rising action, twists and turns.
However, I think the relationship is actually the literary device in this song, and it might truly be about her own relationship with songwriting. It reads like a reflection, questioning words and actions, and leaning into tropes when you know you shouldn’t.
This track really is brilliant. The whole album has zero skips, but I tend to run “Crowbar” back a few times when it comes up.
As a writer, I relate with this one on a personal level. It reminds me that you don’t need any training to do special things. You just have to feel life. And read the classics.
Anyway, that’s just a quick note from me about a record that I really enjoy. If you haven’t already listened to Tiger’s Blood, I highly recommend it.
The Tiny Desk is also really great, and they play “Crowbar”
An anecdote from 2017
I used to not like this band because they underdelivered at Royal back in 2017, and acted like they were too cool to play there. It was right when they started to get noticed and there was some weird stuff going on with their attitude on stage. The opener was way worse, who are funnily enough not even a band anymore.
But now Waxahatchee is huge and it’s funny to look back on that night. They knew they had something good going. No matter how much I love the Royal American, that show in a 200 cap dive bar truly was inconsequential for them.
Anyone who was there will know what i’m talking about. Peace and cheers
