Review Summary: If this is the storm, then I'd like to ride it out too.
Even in its darkest and most understated moments,
Out in the Storm smacks with a sense of confidence that almost appears to betray its subject matter. Much like the new Paramore record, Waxahatchee’s new effort is the culmination of recent experiments with her original sound, resulting in a dive into the pop-rock realm. That’s not so surprising, however, as Waxahatchee - or Katie Crutchfield, her real name - already hinted at this shift with 2015’s excellent
Ivy Tripp. As with many of these young upstarts, we were witnessing another tale of a lo-fi indie folk darling gradually expanding her sound and sculpting it into a different beast altogether. And while I do still have some reservations about the end product,
Out in the Storm does manage to be an incredibly solid affair while tightening Crutchfield’s songwriting craft.
But going back to that first sentence about confidence, what exactly does that mean? Well, perhaps the way opener “Never Been Wrong” storms out of the gate with punk-influenced electric guitar licks and a snappy tempo has something to do it. But Waxahatchee manages to vocally explore a decent variety of emotions in the meantime, combining both her folk-oriented past and elements of her current stylistic plateau. The lyrics aren’t exactly the most uplifting, as album highlight “Silver” demonstrates:
If I turn to stone
The whole world keeps turnin'
I went out in the storm
And I'm never returnin'
Apparently,
Out in the Storm’s lyrical content came from a painful breakup, much like Beck’s
Sea Change or Adele’s
21. But the anthemic instrumentation and bright production make it feel bizarrely good to be entering “the storm” with her. The emotional contradictions displayed on the album provide much of the appeal, even though softer numbers like “Sparks Fly” and “Recite Remorse” do tone things down to provide more of that indie folk flavor that was more prevalent on previous releases. Regardless, the fact that the wordplay and the music don’t always match makes it an interesting affair to sit through, and at a mere 32:49, it manages to be appealingly concise as well. But certainly, Katie’s backing musicians help flesh out the project with both tight and convincing takes on each arrangement. I already mentioned the fantastic riffs that are doled out with the opener, but the alternative rock elements of the rest of the album have their own interesting experiments, such as the synthesizers in “Hear You” or the grunge-like vibe on “No Question.” The driving, muscular rhythm section is able to meld with the singer-songwriter aesthetic very nicely on this record.
Out in the Storm often feels like a symbol of how determination and conflict clash and strike against each other, but once in a while, more somber songs do appear to make the listener reflect on the album’s overall concept. Crutchfield doesn’t shy away from the draining and bitter nature of the subject matter she’s displaying, especially on tracks like “Brass Beam” and “Recite Remorse” which seem to bring the darkest elements of her post-breakup woes to the forefront; the former is particularly angry about this, in fact. That said, it would have been nice if the whole thing was just a bit more tonally consistent. A balance of soft and hard-hitting tracks is fine, yes, but
Out in the Storm could have benefitted from a slight reduction of the softer tunes. We can already grasp the overall concept of the record, and the emotional confusion and musical contrast provided in the poppier songs was perfectly serviceable.
But in reality, that might just be nitpicking. The more important thing is that
Out in the Storm is an excellent continuation of Waxahatchee’s evolution as an artist. Although a bit rough in spots, it still manages to explore the overarching subject matter in a meaningful fashion. On top of that, it explores Waxahatchee’s transformation into an alternative/pop rock singer-songwriter in a meaningful fashion. It doesn’t forget her roots, but it also doesn’t forget that she’s aspiring to develop and reshape her past into something new and enticing. And when you get down to it,
Out in the Storm manages to be utterly compelling because of this blend of the old and the new.
