282. SNOCAPS (self-titled)
So let me start out by saying that the family issue I alluded to earlier is that my wife died a little over 6 months ago. Without getting into all the details let me just say that her death has turned our life upside down in more ways than one can even begin to imagine. I wasn't sure that getting back to writing for Daily Records was ever going to happen (and I'm still not certain if I'll keep it up or how frequently I'll post something new) but at the encouragement of my therapist and with the blessings of our two sons I'm going to give it a go. Listening to music, especially the bands and songs that my wife and I both loved, has had a cathartic effect on me the last many months and helped me to realize that music has been, continues to be and will always be an integral part of my healing process. So when this 2025 record surprise-dropped this past Friday I saw it as an opportunity to slowly get back to my passion and love for it, the significance of picking this particular album to be detailed below.
Snocaps is the newly formed group of twin sisters, Katie and Allison Crutchfield, along with guitarist MJ Lenderman and producer Brad Cook. If the name Katie Crutchfield sounds familiar to you it's because I've covered several of her records - in her capacity as the band Waxahatchee - here, here and here. I'm a huge fan of Waxahatchee and will pretty much listen to anything Katie Crutchfield has to say (or sing). While less familiar with sister Allison's music I think, after listening to and loving this record, I'll start to explore her catalog for sure.
What I find interesting and unique about Snocaps is the contrast between Allison's more rock / guitar-driven tracks and Katie's acoustic / folk-sounding songs. Unsurprisingly, this is in keeping with their previous output in their respective bands. I'll leave you to look up the credits for the tracks I recommend below but no doubt you'll quickly be able to tell who wrote (and also sings) each song as there's an ever so subtle difference between the twins' voices. This record is so good in my opinion that it's really difficult to limit my suggestions to just a few songs, but here goes: 'Heathcliff,' 'Cherry Hard Candy,' 'Wasteland,' 'You in Rehab' and 'Hide.'
So why did I pick this album to mark my return to writing? Well, it turns out that Waxahatchee was the last concert my wife and I went to together. That's Katie Crutchfield in the black skirt in the background and my beautiful wife, Namrata, up front....
