Although Katie Crutchfield is still a couple of years off arriving at the big 3-0, she’s certainly earned the “veteran” tag, at least in the world of indie music. Since her teens, the Alabama-born artist has been writing, recording and touring in DIY bands such as P.S. Eliot and has spent the last several years dedicated to her solo project Waxahatchee, whose latest album Out In The Storm arrived this month, and is another strong addition to her growing discography.

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Making her debut in 2012 with the acoustic and candid American Weekend, she quickly moved to a full-band set-up on her following efforts, but in many ways this fourth LP is a more back-to-basics instalment in her discography, with a purposefully rougher recording quality that compliments Crutchfields more direct attitude. This aesthetic matches comfortably with the thriving guitars that surge with a joyous, youthful energy on songs such as ‘Never Been Wrong’, ‘Silver’, and ‘No Question’, all of which wouldn’t be out of place alongside Sleater-Kinney or The Cranberries on a ’90s college rock radio show.

Elsewhere, Crutchfield’s folksier influences resurface, most notably on the simplistic, lullaby-esque ‘A Little More’, where her unique, harmonious voice proves to be as striking as ever, even when reserved and gentle, and ‘Recite Remorse’ reminds us how well she sounds when accompanied by the glowing hum of an organ. Addressing personal issues such as rocky romance and relationships with those around you, the artist ventures into deeply personal territory, and even if her first-person perspective lyrics can feel a bit repetitive (with the words “I”, “we” and “you” being mentioned in most songs) her strong delivery makes that merely a blemish on an otherwise delightful record. (7/10) (Woody Delaney)

Listen to Out In The Storm here via Spotify, and tell us what you think below!