This was my first time discovering Ethel Cain (the musical alter ego of Hayden Anhedönia)… and I may have just found a new favourite artist. Her sophomore album is quite the journey, with the final track lasting 15 minutes, but these atmospheric songs require room to breathe. The album is a character study of Ethel and her fictional love interests, steeped in poetic imagery and with an undeniably cinematic feel, thanks to the ethereal soundscapes and sprawling layers of production. Anhedönia’s storytelling, when combined with the distinct distortion, drones and slow tempo running throughout, makes the album feel like a Southern Gothic fever dream. 73 minutes very well spent. LT

Out now on Daughters of Cain