Waxahatchee

It's impossible to reflect on indie rock in the 2010s without mentioning Katie Crutchfield and Waxahatchee.

After the breakup of her band P.S. Eliot, the Alabama-born singer-songwriter released American Weekend in 2012 and Cerulean Salt the following year, two critically acclaimed albums full of lo-fi indie rock and sharp, cutting songwriting. Those were followed by Ivy Tripp in 2015 and Out in the Storm, which landed on The A.V. Club's top ten list in 2017, as well as tours with the likes of Sleater-Kinney, Kurt Vile, and Tegan and Sara.

In 2018, Crutchfield moved from Philadelphia to Kansas CIty and became sober. Her first effort since undergoing those major life changes, 2020's Saint Cloud, sees her move toward a more refined folk country sound while shining the spotlight brighter on her visceral, affecting songwriting. It may be her finest yet, and was hailed by Pitchfork as "a vivid modern classic of folk and Americana."

- Paul Blest