![]() ![]() It’s still quite depressing, bordering on overwrought, but it’s a step up from their older material and maybe for the genre as a whole. It’s got all the hallmarks of electronic-leaning indie rock: stark, filtered synths, drums with delay, plenty of reverb, shoegaze swells galore, etc. That said, Not to Disappear is a solid album, boasting one very killer standout. So, take my biased review with a grain of salt. Plus, their singles just didn’t seem to really warrant the hype. Indeed, Cain’s performance embodied a restorative brand of spirituality, using seemingly varying notes of horror, playfulness, and most importantly, sincerity.When Daughter exploded onto the indie world’s radar a couple years ago, I hated them by default - their rising star eclipsed my similarly-named noise metal obsession in Google-ability. “It was a religious experience,” said a fellow visitor on the way out. Whether she was singing one person’s lyrics or dancing alongside the whole crowd, Cain’s performance reminded her audience that they too can survive the circumstances thrown at them and find other people who empathize with their struggles. ![]() When Cain got to the line, “God loves you, but not enough to save you,” I couldn’t help but sing along. As a queer and non-binary person, I too often feel conflicted about how much of my identity I should reveal to friends and family over concerns that their love may come with strings attached. Cain has noted in interviews that this line also refers to the church’s justification for bigotry, and has spoken openly about being shunned from her religious community after identifying as gay at age 12 and transgender at 20 had outed. In the album’s plot, Cain narrates “Sun Bleached Flies” posthumously, referring to religion’s inability to protect Cain’s life. The crowd demanded more, this time with an even more playful “Meemaw! Meemaw! meemaw!”Īs an encore, Cain played “Sun Bleached Flies,” the penultimate track on the album. Cain also accepted gifts from the crowd, including artwork and a small felt mouse, which she kept in her jeans pocket for the rest of the night.Īfter performing her hit single “Crush” from her 2021 album Inbred, Cain left the stage. In the middle of the concert, Cain led the crowd and sang “Happy Birthday” to fellow guitarist and concert opener, Colyer. (Hustler Staff/Katherine Oung)Ĭain also provided little moments of joy between performances. Although Ethel-Cain-the-character may have died, Ethel-Cain-the-artist is fully alive.Įthel Cain and Coyler performing at The Basement East photographed September 8, 2022. Anhedönia grew up as a queer child in a Southern Baptist community in Perry, Florida, and her life story reflects many of the issues addressed in Preacher’s Daughter. ![]() Performed in this way, the tragedy of Preacher’s Daughter took on a more hopeful tone. At the emotional peak of many tracks, Cain would crouch in front of the stage, hold a concert-goer’s hand and sing directly to him.Įthel Cain performing at The Basement East photographed September 8, 2022. By the next song on set, “Gibson Girl,” the relationship has devolved into a hostage situation, eventually leading to Cain’s death and possible cannibalization.īut during her live performance, Cain gently guided her listeners through the album’s heavy subject matter. In the 10-minute opus Thoroughfare, Cain believes she has found her salvation in a new lover and runs away with him. Growing up in a suffocating hometown, Cain cannot escape family generational trauma and cycles of abusive relationships. The tone of “Preacher’s Daughter” alone paints a dark story. Lines like “The neighbor’s brother came home in a box… Another red heart taken by the American dream” and “Jesus, if you’re there, why do I feel alone in this room with you?” the second track, “American Teenager,” set the stage for the rest of the project – a macabre, critical exploration of American patriotism and Christian culture. ![]() In this sprawling epic, Cain lives in a religious southern town still reeling 10 years after the death of her father – the town preacher. Preacher’s Daughter can be interpreted as a narrative album set in 1991. ![]()
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