Ethel Cain - Preacher's Daughter ALBUM REVIEW
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- Опубліковано 15 чер 2022
- Listen: • American Teenager (Off...
The music on Preacher's Daughter could offer its harrowing narrative more support.
Other reviews: • Other Reviews: Singer-...
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FAV TRACKS: THOROUGHFARE, GIBSON GIRL, PTOLEMAEA
LEAST FAV TRACK: A HOUSE IN NEBRASKA
ETHEL CAIN - PREACHER'S DAUGHTER / 2022 / DAUGHTERS OF CAIN / SINGER-SONGWRITER, SLOWCORE, GOTHIC AMERICANA, DREAM POP
6/10
Y'all know this is just my opinion, right?
1. Finally.
2. Wrong.
3. Thank you for at least reviewing it.
Agreed
I TOTALLY CONCUR
Exactly.
A House in Nebraska being the worst track is why there will be riots in the street
and I'll be there with a pitchfork in hand
absolute vile take on his part
Worst opinion he's ever had
I think the live version is 10x better than the album version :(
@@ronanshaw7973 i've heard multiple versions at this point and i can't say i agree with that
his lazy comparison to lana del rey is just a spotlight exposing the fact that he didn’t give this album the space and attention it deserves to be appreciated.
Right like there’s some lana elements but the record is so inspired by Nebraska and Darkness by Bruce Springsteen. Lana has never done extended storytelling the way preacher’s daughter does.
it's just a nicole dollanganger album made by a fan
@@gluedglued1252 it’s quite different but Nicole is a much more accurate comparison than Lana.
@@demontwink nicole is one of ethel's inspiration
@@gluedglued1252 ? girl not just a fan. they’re collaborators. this record is so different
Any time you don’t like a female indie record you make the Lana comparisons
misogyny
@@Rem1m1 misogyny is when you give one woman’s album a 6 (ignore the fact that his two most recent 10/10s were given to women guys I swear he’s a misogynist please believe me)
@@BigOwl51 sometimes ur faves are misogynistic 🤷♀️ sorry man
@@Rem1m1 he’s been at the forefront defense of so many female artists when they were at the peak of their hate and actively fights against misogynistic rhetoric within the music community all the time, he is anything but misogynistic
Let’s not make this a gender thing. She literally sounds like she’s impersonating Lana, even taking literal melodies and ideas from tracks
We don't need an album front to back with Ptolemaea-esque tracks because that track has a moment that stands completely on its own. The blood curdling scream plus the overall arrangement being the most horrifying on the album is what makes it special. The whole album doesn't need to be that dark. If anything, I would say a full understanding of this album's plot is what really gave me chills, not necessarily the production's darker moments. The lyrics really shine through.
yupp! especially bc its a story over time and emotion. if they were all that dark, it wouldnt make sense
no hair = no opinion. 9.5/10
Honestly, I love her use of cliches, like "its just not my year" in the context of the song is so funny because the whole song explores America's misplaced priorities (in war, etc) when it centers a religion that preaches that Jesus is here for you, etc. Having this encompassing doom in the song and then the teenager brushing off her inner turmoil as it just not being her year is hilarious bc like of course it's not, it's awful out here. Same with "it's you and me against the world" because she's a young, naive woman running away and the artist points out the foolishness since she knows what happens to the character at the end.
The whole song is a parody of American culture. Down to the music video there’s Sophia Coppola, American Football, and Journey Easter eggs.
yes exactly!!! for a dude that reviews music for a living, he really doesn’t seem to have well comprehension skills. those cliches were put in for a reason because it paints a picture of, like you said, how naive she was. but i also think it shows that when we fall in love, cliches don’t seem to exist. just because something has been said many times doesn’t mean it can’t have any value.
not to mention it’s about teenager years, who doesn’t say all the cringey cliché shit as a kid? you say it because you believe it or you’re tryna come off all deep
This album is literally a 10/10 and I NEVER rate albums that high….
It’s a 7
@@f4gsforpele it = hold the girl
@@sheddingsnakeskin hold the gay is a 5 lol
Listen to more music
agreed, it's the best album I've heard in a WHILE and ive given it multiple back to back listens because its just soooo gooooood. I just think the music community has to realise that you don't have to be OK Computer or Ants From Up There to be a 10/10 and not everything has to be art rock for it be good lol
she’s nothing like Lana. Inspiration, yes, but she tells a story THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE ALBUM. ethel is her own person not just a copy of lana
Lana didn’t create “alto singing to a moody track”, but I swear that’s always his first comparison every time a song could even begin to fit in that category.
Maybe he listens to too much Lana and can't unhear her in any alternative moody track
@@ashercharleston482considering she’s one of the most reviewed on this channel, that won’t surprise me
Not the point anyway?
Some instrumentals in Preacher's Daughter and Ultraviolence kinda sounds similar. Along with Ethel's vocal delivery, i get the comparison. Some sound of the album reminded me of Ultraviolence too.
I feel like Ethel reminded me WAY more of Florence if anyone
I thought this album was bland on my first listen too, but I kept coming back to it. It’s an album that needs time to marinate in ur brain. The more I listened I realized this album is one of the most genius things I have ever heard, especially lyrically
So true. Totally agreed with all of this cause I feel the same.
this!!! The individual tracks grew on me slowly until I became obsessed with the entirety of the album. Definitely the best concept album I've heard in a while.
@@meganf1801 SAME. I kept coming back because I loved American teenager, then I listened to family tree again and really began to appreciate the lyricism . Then I was completely hooked. I think it beautifully and nearly perfectly covers some very dark topics/ issues like abusive relationships, religious & generational trauma. Love it so much!
@@meaghan5065 For me, it was American teenager and thoroughfare!! I was like, I might as well give the rest of the album a shot, and I fell in love, LOL. But you're so right. She brought attention to such dark topics and made them into beautiful songs
100% agree.
Bruh how dead inside do you gotta be to give this masterpiece a 6
This is not a masterpiece, I am.
absolute masterpiece, 100% agreed
he did it to Kanye too, she's in good company
@@SP-iv2jj except for the fact that this album is like... significantly better?
@@CyanWatercress4than what dark and twisted fantasy there is no you actually believe that it’s not a bad album but it’s not better than that respectfully
Personally, I find the pacing and slow compositions part of the appeal of this album. Really emphasizing the gradual tragedies that come in the lost love, faith, and life of the narrative.
i feel like everyone who listened to this album absolutely loved it, except the critics which is strange. i thought it was incredible and one of the best debut albums ever
I TOTALLY CONCUR
I feel like critics just have to have something negative to say, hence "critic."
This album is meant to be felt. It's raw. It's haunting. It connects with you or it doesn't. For me, and for a lot of people, it does. Especially, as others have said who grew up with religious trauma. Without that background, I think it's nearly impossible to fully appreciate Hayden's music.
@@charp823 "Critic" doesn't mean "attack" or "bad opinion". There are a lot of good critics so yeah, that was stupid.
@@Sad__House wow let's focus on the definition of the word "critic" instead of the overall point i was making. that was stupid.
The album's just mid, it ain't that deep
I don’t really see that she’s going for ‘horror’ necessarily, but more the solemn tragedy behind the horror that happened. Also, House in Nebraska is my favourite.
Specially considering that the horror aspect of the album is completely instrumental
Men like him see it as a horror story bc they can’t comprehend the real world impact of being sex trafficked.
She should double down in the horror and I don’t mean the moody instruments. Horror but also with the bop of teenage dream.
Horror in a very southern gothic kinda way
nailed it
This is what happens when one person reviews too much music. It not being your taste doesn’t mean it’s lacking in anything
Ethel fans are seething and crying so hard in this comment section 😂
@BigOwl51 is that supposed to be funny? of course fans are mad. he pretty much only mentioned negative things about the record, completely distegarding the fact that almost the entire record is self-produced. of course fans are commenting.
@@BigOwl51 you have 510 comments on this channel alone, McDonald’s is hiring!
well that’s kind of what reviewing and talking about music is. discussing what you liked and what you didn’t. just because you like something doesn’t mean other people can’t express that they didn’t like it as much as you
"Y'all know this is just my opinion, right?"
1:36 is irritating me so much like do you not get the fact that these clichés are purposeful as she’s playing the character of a woeful teenage girl oh my GOD ofc a man cant get it💀
American Teenager is definitely one of the best pop songs of the year
it feels so structurally off to me, the 16th notes on the hi hats come after the chorus during the verse and its so disjointed. I really tried with this album but the songwriting isn't quite there imo.
@@somedood6621 I actually really like the structure. It's different than other generic pop songs
Idk it feels like Christian camp music
@@arcabussy3798 what kind of Christian camps do you go to
Well maybe that’s intentional. Teenage religious trauma is literally the theme here.
A 10/10 album in my opinion. Literally never been done before, and that’s saying something in modern day music.
🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️
@@chipan8881 I mean, there really isn't anything else like it
I wouldn't go that far. I love her, but I wouldn't say never been done before.
It’s an excellent album but this type of dark Americana with extensive narrative and experimental influence has been done before.
@@MaxMax-zo9vq I mean, yes, of course. But an album of this songwriting and sonic decisions is not anything ordinary. And plus, an album storyline about a troubled woman on the run that falls in love on a road-trip, only to be murdered and eaten is certainly not something done before.
As someone who adores this album, I was a bit sad to see it didn’t connect with you, but that’s okay! I feel like this record’s production, story, and aesthetic hit harder for those of us that grew up with religious trauma - especially if you’re queer and/or trans. Glad to see that she’s getting some attention on your channel tho!
The problem with fantanos analytics is that he analyzes. You either feel it or you dont.
Personally i loved it.
@@lonelycake4114 he first feels for an album, then puts together and analyzes why he feels that way. In the end of the day, critic scores are all based on opinions
I grew up with religious trauma, but I didn't really feel this album at all. This album feels like it's made for sad suburban white people, which I am not.
You are 100% right
I liked the album a lot and connected to it. I'm sad because my favorite Ethel tracks are the disowned early works that she pulled off of streaming platforms.
i will never forgive you for this
As far as the two instrumentals, August Underground and Televangelism being too long: Ptolemaea freaking shook me to my core, man. Its probably the most affected I've ever been by a song, and the following two songs, as dark and moody as they are, kinda felt like aftercare almost. They give you space to recenter, without diminishing the themes and impact of Ptolemaea.
They're not songs I'm really gonna listen to on their own, but I feel like they're an essential piece of the album as a whole
Not to even mention that they feel like the immediate afterbeat of the tragedy happening in Ptolemaea: it's the ghost that finds its form to sing again in words later. They absolutely HAD to be put back to back.
@@jesionkowal9981 AGREE
Maybe you would have enjoyed it more if it was named "To Pimp a Preacher's Daughter"
To be fair that's exactly what happens in Gibson Girl
i mean that definitely happens
this is my personal aoty for me. the expansive songs with the very molasses-y production really paint suburban/rural america in an incredibly vivid manner, i love it to bits. the narrative and lyrics on tracks may be stereotypical but i think that was her intention: she’s trying to illuminate the universal experience in these places while simultaneously depicting her incredibly harrowing narrative. she juxtaposes the two very nicely. it’s very reminiscent of joni mitchell’s “hejira” which is also one of my fav records
being trans also helps relate to the vibes here lol
I live in Staten Island and man this album hits home
Being trans doesn’t mean it’s album of the year lmao
@@drewbunton1156 girl no one said that ????
@@drewbunton1156 they said they personally relate to it cuz they're trans headass
A House in Nebraska doesn't deserve that treatment
thoroughfare is one of the best slow burners I’ve ever heard
Right?! And the storytelling is fantastic
made me bawl like a baby on first listen
Factual
you’re tripping, it’s one of the best albums of 2022
Nah, I love this - and it is not "Lana" at all. American Teenager is amazing and her story is inspiring. We need more people like her with authentic stories, not just phoning it in. Agree to disagree - but I just see a pattern of Fantano not liking the whole "Midwest" vibe.
Ikr why does he have to compare her to another female artist? And Lana del Rey? Just because the tracks are moody? LOL it's such a lazy comparison.
What I will say about "Preacher's Daughter" is that, while it largely isn't to my taste sonically speaking, I was still extremely impressed by it overall. I had to keep reminding myself that this was a debut album by a 24-year-old and not a body of work produced by someone at least four or five albums into their career. I think the sprawling tracks, while so far out of the norm for today's albums, worked really well for the subject matter.
There are a few songs that stand out to me: Family Tree, Gibson Girl, Ptolamaea. But even though it wasn't my favourite album, I think it sounded like an instant classic and it feels like a very important album.
the debut album of a self taught 24 year old who wrote it all by herself, taught herself how to play instruments and program so that she could perform and produce it almost entirely by herself. it’s really incredible. Lana, Taylor …. they could never.
@@demontwink, the name Ethel Cain, means "nobility acquired." This is a man turning into a girl and what does that entail? The supposed birth name that I don't buy tells you. Hayden Silas Anhedonia, meaning "burned wood (or the action completed), but inability to feel sexual pleasure."
@@ReligionOfSacrifice both names are fake names so what?
@@demontwink they all wrote their own music too lol. Especially their first albums lol.
@@hi2978 their worst albums
This album is an easy 9/10, thoroughfare is probably my favorite song of the year. I can’t fucking believe you didn’t necessarily like this
**cough cough** L. D. R. was brought up… explains A LOT, sadly.
Thoroughfare top 3 with family tree and ptolemaea
Definitely disagree with you but ecstatic you actually reviewed her album.
I really feel like Ethel does a fantastic job in justifying those 6-7 minute long tracks that you feel aren’t as justified. Her storytelling abilities through her music slowly made me crave her longer tracks in a way no other artist has done. But i’m glad you covered her album, she deserves all the recognition in the world :)
exactly, i swear if all the songs we're like 4-5 minutes long they just WOULD NOT WORK. Imagine something like Family Tree or House in Nebraska or Sun Bleached Flies being shortened like, just no, nope, not happening
As usual, a review that completely misses the point. However, in spite of Fantano and Pitchfork, this is and will remain one of the greatest debut album of the last decade, at least. And of one of the best of this year.
Listen to it with open mind, immerse in it and you will be obsessed by the voice, the music and the story. You cannot ask for more from an album.
20 bucks says he revisits this album. it will age INCREDIBLY well.
If this was called “Come home, preacher, your daughter misses you” you would’ve given it a 10/10
Also sub pls
A House In Nebraska is literally one of the best songs what the fuck
the fact that you compared it to lana del rey just shows that you don't get it lol
Right?? If you get it, you get it 👀
Me patiently waiting for a Ethel Cain review : 😌
Me when my aoty is given a 6 : 🥲
All good its just not experimental enough for him to appreciate it.
@@sadworldwide he’s liked way less experimental projects. It just goes to show that he’s a normal person who has opinions
Dw about it he’s just wrong tbh most of his comparison and associations for what he thinks she’s going for are kinda just wrong but whatever it’s what happens when a music reviewer can’t really catch the vibe due to poor associating
Good review Anthony, but you only gave this a 6 because she blocked you on twitter 3 years ago
She confirmed on am Instagram live on the Friday it released that the insect sound on the beginning of Ptolemaea is in fact that of bees. She justified that bees have a smoother sound than that of flies. She also confirmed that this is the first of a trilogy.
WAIT like she's going to make two more albums following other Daughters of Cain?! I'm excited
@@sixofsnails6364 Gurl aren't we all!!!! Let's just hope he doesn't have any more shit takes regarding mother lol
sorry fantano you're but i already formed an opinion and this album is 10/10
to anyone who's only hearing about this album now: just remember to listen to it yourself at least once!
@242turbo To match your number of brain cells, of course.
Glad you're covering Ethel Cain, even if it isn't a glowing review. I feel similarly as a fan of the overall style and aesthetic (adored the God's Country video) but not totally into the actual compositions of the songs on this album. Very glad if it's done more for others though!
gay
Trixiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie!!!!!!!!! Lets gooooooooooooooooo!
Yo the anime witch is here.
Did you like Ehtel Cain's last album, Inbred? I think that's more like what people think they were getting on Preacher's Daughter.
why do you, as a pedophile, think you have a right to an opinion on ethel cain?
I personally liked it a lot. To me the album felt very ambitious for a debut, many singers can’t get to this level even after many dropped albums under their belt, so it was quite impressive.
So true
"least fave track: House in Nebraska"
SEEK HELP
Honestly, Nevermind.
It's a bit unfair to rate the album after just one listen. It definitely gets better after several listens and you also get used to the song lengths (which are appropriate for slowcore). Ethel has always rejected the wrong comparison with Lana Del Rey, it even annoys her.
The Lana Del Rey comparison is definitely not off though, it’s pretty clear that Ethel is very influenced by her. This album has a very Ultraviolence/Honeymoon era Lana feel to it all throughout, although I would say more consistent and better overall especially from a songwriting front.
I'm also a fan of Ethel and she liked an instagram post saying "Lana del Rey is Ethel Cain for conservatives" so at least she acknowledges regardless if she dislikes it. You can compare two things without saying that one is better than the other, and the inspiration is clear
How tf is house in Nebraska ur least fav track???
Follows a string of him putting a good songs in least fav category.
Cause he has no clue what he’s talking about
I mean it is pretty boring
So glad everyone disagrees with mr clean ❤
men should never have opinions again
Sexiest
bro just hates women
You wrong then
and you're fat do you wanna keep going or is the third mcdonald's trip gonna take too long @@dabench4596
now c’mon he praised a lot of female artists in the music industry giving much more than a common 7. those misogynistic accusations are so funny
1:32 does he actually know that a cliche is a stylistic device? 💀💀💀
Not every girl from the south has to be Lingua, Tony. Expand
Prolemaea is honestly such an amazing track. I wish the album would have focus more on that darker side, as you said.
ik this is 6 months old but the whole album has a story flowing and ptolemea is the song before ethel dies and the instrumental in August underground is her dying and being eaten. Gibson girl, the one before ptolemea is where her boyfriend starts to drug her resulting to her fate.
@@katdelreyhi I know this is a year old but I never listened to this album before and you just blew my mind as I’m listening and realizing the metaphorical and literal meaning of the lyrics WOW thank you for clueing me in
missed the entire point
Was really surprised to hear that you found “A House In Nebraska” not justified by its length. AHIN & Thoroughfare are my two top songs of the year. I’ve listened countless times to both and I get lost in them every time. Still glad that you made time to listen to this album, though!! Keep covering Ethel Cain!
This review was some garbage. You should work for Pitchfork
LMAOOOOO
the TND brand IS owned by pitchfork bro
male doesnt understand female rage album. color me shocked.
Idk, he gave sinner get ready a 10. If that's not a female rage album I don't know what is
for a dollar give a woman a score of 8+
FR THO
Björk, Beyoncé, Rina, Twigs, Janelle, Lana del Rey, Weyes Blood, Charli, St Vincent, Jessie Ware, Lingua Ignota, Sza, Natalia Lafourcade to name the ones that come to mind, also its disproportionate how many not goods he has given to men compared to women. Insinuating that he's mysoginistic because he has a more critical view of an album you like gotta be one of the most childish takes a person can have
@@tomaspachonutadeo4117 boy be so real and honest
@@jennxpennsgingerbreadman6679 no ur mad bc he ate you up
This might be your worst take ever...this album is absolute gold. One of the best artists out rn that's making actual good thought out art
I CANT BELIEVE YOU BURNED DOWN THAT HOUSE IN NEBRASKA. SHE DESERVED LOVE.
why did he flip a 9 upside down and calling it an album score
ANTHONY FANTANO YOU WILL NEVER BE A TEENAGE GIRL!!!!
This is a 10/10 album.
I don’t think it’s a 10/10 but definitely still my aoty. I understand some of Fantano’s critiques but I think it’s at least a light to decent 8.
A 6? Cmon man. This album is absolutely incredible and so different and unique. This is straight up like some southern metal Lana del ray stuff
There is like one song that gets heavy. I like it, but I think this is fair. A lot of the songs feel like not much happens musically. Definitely looking forward to hearing more from her though
I’m sorry but this is the worst review fantano has ever done. Obviously given the album 0 time mindlessly comparing any female indie artist to Lana deal rey proves his lack of knowledge about the artist. Seems as tho every1 in comments agrees. L review.
This album is amazing, it was a long time I wasn’t feeling this much towards an album.
Me too! I havent loved an album this much in years
nahhhhh this album is perfect, big time disagree
The album cover is a 10/10 though
Ptolemaea made me crumble inside. As someone who’s been used and broken for what feels like forever i couldn’t stop listening to it again and again. Someone putting this experience, this feeling into sound. It’s a masterpiece.
where my gibson girls at
dont speak of mother ever again. ኃጢአተኛ ነፍስህ ከመዳን በላይ ናት እናም ሰላምን ወይም ሥቃይን አታውቅም ፣ የንስሐ ቅዝቃዜ ብቻ አብቅቷል ፣ ምክንያቱም ኃጢአቶችህ ከማንኛውም ተልእኮ የላቀ ስለሆነ ፣ መጨረሻው ቀርቧል ፣ የኃጢአት መርከቦች
RIOT!!!!!!!!!! A House in Nebraska is a 10/10
It's a mid song. Just okay sonically and not very exciting lyrically, although it serves it's purpose in the story. Just not interesting enough to stand on it's own.
Oh they aren’t gonna like this one, Tony…
You’re right. We don’t
i don’t think he gets it guys
Not every female artist who uses microphone reverb who writes about tragedy, sex and religion is a Lana copy.
Don’t agree with mention of her use of cliches, like they seem quite deliberate to me. Throughout the album she’s interrogating the various staples of American mythmaking and nostalgia, her own position within those shibboleths and institutions, and whether they deserve to be romanticised at all. So there’s almost a satire present in her using those cliches.
im literally under ur bed
Yeah i disagree but it’s cool you covered the album on your channel, giving her a platform.
She’s got magic and is a true artist.
its so funny how he can break down intricate details about song composition is his videos but doesnt have enough media comprehension skills to understand this album AT ALL, i dont know why people even take him seriously hes like one of those foodies who dissect every part of a dish instead of just enjoying it😭 i dont understand how as a man you can listen to this album about the trauma of being a queer woman and think you would understand it in the slightest lmao
That's why this Is an OPINION, ever heard of that word? Being queer doesn't mean being stupid but I guess that's what you got from it
A House in Nebraska is one of the best songs I’ve heard in years. Thank you for helping me realize I don’t need the opinion of a music critic to help me decide what to listen to
This video is five minutes and 41 seconds long. I’d be better off listening to the album for that long and deciding for myself. I can’t remember the last music review I watched before this and I don’t expect I’ll be watching another anytime soon
The idea is to find a critic with similar taste to yourself, not just the most popular guy...
I was literally bawling my eyes out all night listening to "American Teenager" over and over. I just discovered Ethel, and her lyrics + music resonate so incredibly strongly with me. This album is astounding. I really hate to say "you just don't get it", but, yeah, you really don't. Which is fine, but you're reviewing it, so.
Crowdfunding for melon to get his eyes fixed because he be reversing 9s a lot
dude came into it expecting LINGUA IGNOTA and got mad when it wasn't exactly that lmao
honestly gotta thank u melon for this review, even if it is a 6. without it i probably wouldn't have ever listened to this album that i can confidently say is now one of my favorite albums of all time. ptolomaea is just otherworldly, one of the greatest songs i've ever listened to
Okay, I'm not going to open up and flame you for your opinion; you're absolutely entitled to it, even if I find it thin. I'm a metalhead for most of my life, so I know all too well what it's like to have my music ridiculed, berated, and outright vilified. I also understand that not all music is for everyone, and tastes and styles resonate differently. That said, I, like most other commenters here, find the Lana Del Rey comparison a bit lazy and short-sighted. I myself feel that the over-opulence of Del Rey doesn't come close to the Ethel Cain pantheon, but I digress so as not to sound like an over-zealous fan boy. I'm far too old for that. However, I also agree that, as a few have said here, Ethel Cain could well be the voice that music has been pleading for in the last few years. I'm sure most of the fan base defending her here would call me a boomer old fart, and that's okay, too - I paid my dues to the music scene enough to know what I like, love and dislike, and I can appreciate their passion and defense of their artist and, in some cases, the voice for the more silent sufferers of traumas untold. They have found their champion and they love her for her honest, painful stories, fictionalized or not, hence such vehement defense. In the only sphere I'd even mention Ethel Cain in the same sentence as Taylor Swift, I will state that both fan bases are insanely protective of and devoted to their chosen artist. For me, Ethel Cain provides far more substance than a messy Swiftie broken love affair (or several, as it were), but I digress again - she has her thing, Cain has hers. This adoration is what happens when an artist speaks to and for you in ways you never could or even would. She's a generational anomaly to be lauded, Ms. Cain, and she will be if she keeps up this pace as Preacher's Daughter belies.
As a metalhead yourself (assuming such from the ND shirt you're wearing), maybe this record just wasn't your bag, and I can dig that. I've seen people more attuned to your channel and history that lay claims you're purposefully harder on women artists, and I won't assume that or poke at it as I simply don't know, but I do feel maybe you'd like the totality of the piece if you gave it another listen or two. If not, all well and good. But I do find it interesting that the nuances you find critical and / or cliché are the same attributes extreme metal was built upon, right down to the minimalist production values to the long, drawn-out 'epics' that are supposedly for 'atmosphere and effect'. That aside, the lyrics / subject matter isn't as in your face as the ridiculously cartoonish Cannibal Corpse (a band I also enjoy), but Ethel Cain paints stark portraits that would reduce some of those bands to tears. Again, it's all preference and taste, but I simply found it odd, some of the criticisms your levied at this album, a personal 9/10 for me.
Allow me to take up a bit more space to defend one thing, if not for you, then for some men...SOME. I've read some comments here, and, to paraphrase, "men shouldn't be allowed opinions or to listen to Ethel Cain". Again, I don't know your personal history on your channel, and I will be watching more of your videos to see what else you've reviewed out of natural curiosity, but I think it's unfair to classify all of us men as clueless automatons unable to appreciate a woman's suffering and voice. Sure, the misogyny and outright bigotry runs rampant in the music industry (and in most areas, come to think of it), but I'll only say that you gave Cain's record an honest review as you saw it, and assuming you're not on a one-man crusade to bring down the voices of women everywhere, all men shouldn't be reduced to such disgusting criteria. I'm a 52-year old straight, white, metalhead that has seen, heard and done it all, and some of us can actually hear Hayden's messages here and appreciate and applaud them, as well as the base she's reaching. I'm glad to call myself an Ethel Cain fan, and I'm not least bit ashamed to defend Hayden when the closed-minded assholes in and outside the metal community come blasting their insipidities. I've always loved music and artists that touch me and show integrity and honesty; Ethel Cain represents that, and this album is a bit of genius to my ears, but, as I said oh so long ago in this booklet I left here, we're all different.
Give her older material a listen, man - she's got a very distinct voice both sonically and intuitively. Thanks for reviewing her and giving it a small push, despite it not hitting you as it has others.
kinda feels like he did this just to be contrarian and get attention. like there is simply no way he genuinely believes this is a six.
Or maybe he doesn't have to like what you like. 😒
I agree with him.
The album's concept and lyrics are extremely strong, and Ptolemaea and the tracks after were the greatest, with some weaker moments.
The problem is musical, especially in the first half of the album. I cannot remember a single melody from that first half, and if you picked out a random line, I would not be able to tell you what specific song it's from. There's a serious lack of song texture, variety, peaks and valleys, whatever you want to call it. (Sun Bleached Flies is the least problematic in this way)
It felt like one specific sound for 30 minutes straight. Great if you're obsessed with that sound, tedious if you're any less excited than that.
this was one of the most negative 6/10 reviews i’ve ever heard 😭
Absolutely loving to see the comments disagreeing with this review.
this review made me go listen to the album and now it’s my favourite album of all time and Ethel Cain is my favourite artist, so thanks for that 🖤 10/10 imho
I had a strong feeling he wasn't going to love this one lol
For me AOTY
And AHIN its SOTY just like sunbleached flies
Both songs got me SOBBING (still)
I connected a lot with AHIN, and thats sad
Broo where's that logic review we starving out here
american teenager song of the summer
Ptolomaea is one of the scariest songs I've heard in a long time. Listening to that in pitch darkness on the way home from my friends cabin in the woods🤣🤣🤣 Excellent though, 6 is insane to me got to be at least an 8
cant wait for the redux review in like 4 or 5 years
He definitely will ,after he interviewed with a fan and realized he missed a lot points especially in the narrative side.
Love this record. So glad it's getting more coverage even if it's not as positive as I'd like to see
strangers is bland?! flavorless?! bro
he said "i wanted something darker" when a sentence before he talks about how the last song depicts ethel being consumed💀
to be fair, he did mean musically, a lot of the track list just doesnt have that heaviness that ptolemaea does. i know i also went into this album wanting something more like that
U will never recover from this