Hear Ethel Cain, means to enter his own world. A world in which the clocks tick slowly and the southern swamp reveals dark stories: violence & sex, Christian fundamentalism, family trauma, even cannibalism. On her album debut Preacher’s Daughter (2022), the musician, who grew up as Hayden Anhedönia in Florida, processed such topics for film tires from Sadgirl-Pop, Ambient-Noise, Americana and Stadium-Rock guitars.
Recommendations of the editorial team
Fortunately, the latter largely omits Cain on the – lyrically designed as a prequel – successor. Instead, this time she mixes drone-soaked instrumentals under pop and country ballads such as “Fuck Me Eyes” and “Nettles”, which sound like Taylor Swift in Gothic mode. The 27-year-old leaves a stronger impression when she descends with “A Knock at the Door” in Ghost Folk Spheres.
Atmosphere dominates Cain. But like the predecessor, the new album of a lack of time management is also struggling. The pace never attracts, the songs are getting longer and longer. Ten, 15 minutes of elegant vocals and washed -out guitars – that requires patience. Or a broken heart.
This review first appeared in the MusikExpress 09/2025.