Hi everyone. I am still swamped, so this will probably have the feel of being more of a fly-by. Every once in a while, I’ll be listening to some video on YouTube and I’ll see something pop up in the suggestions that gets my attention. A couple months ago, a video from someone who goes by Ethel Cain was among those recommended. I gave it a listen and was hooked. Her voice sometimes gets compared to Enya. I get a Mazzy Star vibe from her work – it’s very melancholy, and seems like it would have fit in with Mazzy Star and similar artists from the early 1990s. The aesthetic from her videos has a sort of retro feel to it as well. The vehicles may often be recent, but she loves to incorporate cassette players, VHS, old-time TV sets, etc. She seems to capture the despair of living in rural America in a way that is empathic (she grew up in the rural South). She’s also used her platform to promote transgender people, which I find really cool (Ethel is transgender female). Here’s a vid:
She’s still a fairly young artist. Much of her work is self-produced, which she prefers. So there’s definitely a DIY aesthetic that is part of her vibe. If she gets a few breaks, I think she could develop into a formidable talent. If you dig Americana, give this a shot. If you dig this track, check out her other songs. If not, no worries.
Cheers.
