Waxahatchee - Cerulean Salt [Limited Blue & White Vinyl LP]

Katie Crutchfield's second album as Waxahatchee arrived at a pivotal moment in her creative evolution. Following the release of her debut American Weekend (2012), Crutchfield toured extensively and then worked on writing and fleshing out new songs over the course of a year, marking a departure from her previous rapid songwriting approach. Co-produced by Swearin' members Kyle Gilbride and Keith Spencer, the album was recorded in Crutchfield's basement. Where her debut was stark bedroom recordings made in a week, Cerulean Salt expands the sonic palette with fuller arrangements while maintaining the intimate confessional style that defined her work. This limited edition pressing on cerulean blue and white quad colored vinyl celebrates an album that Pitchfork included on their list of The 100 Best Albums of the Decade So Far in 2014.

The 13-track album moves between stripped-down acoustic moments and fuller indie rock arrangements. Opening track "Hollow Bedroom" sets the tone before moving into standouts like "Dixie Cups and Jars," "Coast to Coast," and "Misery Over Dispute." Sister Allison Crutchfield of Swearin' contributes harmonies on the minimalist "Blue Pt. II," while tracks like "Swan Dive" and "Peace and Quiet" showcase Katie's gift for crafting melodies that feel both deeply personal and universally relatable. The album closes with "You're Damaged," a haunting acoustic reflection. Lyrically, the album shifts focus from breakups to reflections on family, Alabama upbringing, and the transition into adulthood. Crutchfield explores themes of lost innocence, self-doubt, and the tension between transience and permanence with sharp, vivid imagery.

Cerulean Salt was recognized on several decade-end lists, placing number 61 on Rolling Stone's list, with critics praising Crutchfield as one of her generation's foremost chroniclers of interior turmoil. The album solidified her place in Philadelphia's indie rock scene of the 2010s and laid the groundwork for her continued evolution as a songwriter. This blue and white quad colored vinyl pressing honors an album that balanced lo-fi intimacy with expanded production, capturing an artist in transition between bedroom recordings and the nationally recognized voice she would become. The Waxahatchee name itself comes from a creek near her childhood Alabama home, representing both her roots and her journey forward.

• Format: Blue & White Quad Colored Vinyl LP
• Standout tracks: "Coast to Coast," "Peace and Quiet," "Swan Dive"
• Pressing details: Limited Edition
• Genre/style: Indie Rock, Lo-Fi, Singer-Songwriter, Folk Punk
• UPC: 634457057784

The album stands as a bridge between Waxahatchee's earliest lo-fi recordings and the more polished indie rock sound she would continue to develop, capturing a crucial moment in one of indie music's most compelling artistic journeys.

* The Spotify track list may not exactly represent the tracks and audio of this LP edition.

Track List:

Side A:

1. Hollow Bedroom
2. Dixie Cups And Jars
3. Lips And Limbs
4. Blue Part II
5. Brother Bryan
6. Coast To Coast
7. Tangled Envisioning

Side B:

1. Misery Over Dispute
2. Lively
3. Waiting
4. Swan Dive
5. Peace And Quiet
6. You're Damaged