Ethel Cain - Willoughby Tucker, I Will Always Love You (2025) • Page 8

A song does not need to be melodic, sensitive, humble, or chaste to be qualified as "actual music." That's before getting to the fact that there is a huge swath of hip hop that more than meets your exceedingly narrow definition.

No one's making anyone listen to it, fully understand why it might not be for everyone. But coming in with that type of overly negative and dismissive criticism of an entire genre (as mentioned, completely unrelated to this *incredible* album) is going to rub people the wrong way.

 

Huh, what a weird take to come across in an Ethel Cain thread on Chorus dot fm in 2025.

Anyways. This album is very good. Gave it my first full, focused listen the other night while repainting my nails and really loved how it split the difference between Preacher’s Daughter and Perverts.

 

I mean...there's also the fact that hip-hop is a predominantly black genre. That doesn't mean you have to like it, but it is a pink flag when I run into people who dismiss the entire genre, especially as not being "actual music." Claiming that the entire genre lacks melody and sensitively is not only ignorant, but objectively incorrect

 

Just wanted to pop in and say this album is incredible. Played it all weekend. Wasn’t a huge fan of PD (don’t kill me), I just thought it was fine and had some great songs interspersed with some duds. WTIALY for me is just phenomenal front to back. I did create a playlist excluding the interludes just for a slightly shorter and smoother listening experience. I still love the interludes but sometimes I just want to listen to the meat of this album.

 

Dude Tempest and Waco are both absolute STUNNERS

 

I think this person knows that. In fact I think that’s the point

 

I completely missed that this was out.

 

I know, but nobody was saying it lol

 

this part in dust bowl

 

haven't listened yet but lmao

 

gonna throw it on in a sec while i unpack

 

Really liking this. Tempest and Waco are an incredible closing 1-2 punch.

 

I thought this was just OK, generally speaking I historically have not understood most complaints about pacing on albums but the flow of this album is not really landing with me at all. Perverts is still her best work to me by a long shot but I think I prefer PD to this also

 

Listened this morning, enjoyed this a lot. Not sure how much I will return because I feel it’s very dense and also best enjoyed as a full work

 

come back to it when you give it a spin lol it has more to do with the delivery and melody in context with the whole track than the lyric specifically. it hits for me.

 

I like this. It's definitely for the hardcore fans as I don't think she seemingly has much interest in engaging beyond those who are devoted but I think it's a cool listen.

 

this album feels like a full band Grouper album, which is why I love it

 

am i imagining things, or is the little repeated vocal melody in Willoughby's Interlude the same as August Underground?

 

this is beautiful i love the length and how much she spreads out excited to drive with this on

 

Anyone know what the live shows are meant to be like? Doubt there'd be anything going reasonably on secondary market nearer her UK dates but I'm curious.

 

I was able to get a ticket for about $90 at the greek theatre in Berkeley through face value exchange on ticketmaster

 

Perverts didn't do much for me but I like this album a lot. Still think Preacher's Daughter is my fav of the three.

 

It's absolutely not the point - and it's particularly offensive to me that you even suggested it

I'm from the north of England - not the deep south

 

and English people notoriously cannot be racist, lol

 

Maybe it's because us British aren't as aggressively capitalist or desensitized to violence as Americans that we don't connect with hip hop so much