SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: WAXAHATCHEE – TIGERS BLOOD

WAXAHATCHEE
TIGERS BLOOD
ANTI-

Waxahatchee has released her sixth studio album, Tigers Blood. She has also released a few singles from the album in anticipation. This all comes nearly four years after her previous album, Saint Cloud. If it takes nearly four years to wait for an album like this again, then I myself will be glad to wait, as this is, without a doubt, her best work to date. Even more, this album is so much more than that. It’s a true masterpiece of not just craft but also pure artistry fully on display.

Starting right off with “3 Sisters”, Waxahatchee sets a transfixing, emotional tone not just in the brilliant production and vocals but also through the genius lyrics that guide this track and every detail of it. Even more incredible is the switch from a more country and folk-centred style in the middle half, which is flawlessly executed and hard to pull off. Even more, it tells what album you’re in for. A true emotional rollercoaster. The following songs keep you in pain and hope throughout Tigers Blood, like an endless ride you want to stop. Though, like this beautiful album conveys, life is a ride you can’t cut off.

In addition to that, Tigers Blood manages to convey a wide range of emotions. Each track emits an overwhelming amount of anguish, yet a stunning feeling of optimism holds it together. For everything that Tigers Blood achieves well, it can be traced back to the careful and strong songwriting that, on its own, drives everything together. Each phrase seems to be so purposeful and thought out to the point that it is even better than the majority of books coming out today.

Tigers Blood is a brilliant showcase of many things, but one that is undeniable is that of an artist at the peak of their abilities. One of the greatest elements of Tigers Blood is how each track maintains a sense of independence while coexisting with one another. Each track works hand in hand, but it also works perfectly on its own. What’s even more impressive is the incredibly innovative nature of each track, which is consistently matched with brilliant quality at every turn in this intricate album.

Tigers Blood is an experience that is transfixing from the first line from start to finish that you can’t look away from and can’t ignore for its sheer brilliance. Each track explodes with a sense of power and radiance that most albums could only wish was on one track of their album, and here Waxahatchee does that in spades. It is truly the culmination of all her previous albums into one magnum opus that will surely stick with her legacy.

Overall, Tigers Blood is a blaze of pain, love, and understanding that stands out from any album this year and is surely, if not already, to be considered a classic that should be taught in colleges.

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