Snocaps is the debut album from the band of the same name, a collaboration between twin sisters Allison Crutchfield and Katie Crutchfield, alongside MJ Lenderman and Brad Cook. It’s something of a supergroup, with each member having built a strong individual reputation in over the last decade. Whether that’s Allison through her former band Swearin', Katie as Waxahatchee, Lenderman both solo and with Wednesday, and Cook as a widely sought-after producer and multi-instrumentalist.
This record feels like a natural coming together of long-running creative relationships. Lenderman and Cook have both worked together extensively, as well as with Waxahatchee, and the album is also the first time the Crutchfield sisters have shared a band since their early, punkier days in P.S. Eliot. That familiarity brings a distinct warmth to the recordings, there’s an endearing looseness present throughout, though one that is balanced by a strong sense of craft. Instrumentation shifts between members across tracks, reinforcing the album’s close-knit, almost familial feel.
Fans of Lenderman’s Manning Fireworks and Waxahatchee’s recent run of records will find plenty to enjoy in Snocaps’ easy-going country-Americana. Allison’s sharper, punk-rooted melodic instincts also add a newfound bite and immediacy, particularly on the punchy opener Coast.
Musically, there’s also a bright, sunny quality running through much of the album, with tracks like Heathcliff, Brand New City, Over Our Heads, and You In Rehab carrying a buoyant, carefree energy that occasionally echoes the ‘90s alt-rock of The Breeders, particularly when the sisters’ voices blend in effortless harmony. Elsewhere, Wasteland and Hide comfortably sit alongside the best of Waxahatchee’s recent solo work, capturing her distinctive style of melancholic country-rock.
There’s something genuinely moving about hearing the Crutchfield sisters together again after periods of personal strain and struggle, instances of which are covered in some of the album’s heart-on-the-sleeve lyrics. This sense of reunion gives the album an emotional, redemptive undercurrent, with Lenderman and Cook playing more supportive and assisting roles throughout. Here’s hoping that an album so suited to sunnier evenings ahead rings true for both Katie and Allison Crutchfield from now on.
Snocaps is out now on vinyl and CD
