“Willoughby Tucker, I Will Always Love You” is singer-songwriter Hayden Anhedönia’s, professionally known as Ethel Cain, sophomore studio album, released on Aug. 8.
“Willoughby Tucker,” like Anhedönia’s previous studio album, “Preacher’s Daughter,” is a part of a southern gothic story following the women of the Cain family. Both “Willoughby Tucker” and “Preacher’s Daughter” follow the character of Ethel Cain, a young woman from Alabama in the 1980-90s. But whereas “Preacher’s Daughter” follows Ethel’s journey after leaving home, “Willoughby Tucker” is a prequel following Ethel’s teenage romance with a boy named Willoughby Tucker.
“Willoughby Tucker, I Will Always Love You” is sonically cohesive but dips its toes in genres such as folk, slowcore, and synthwave. My favorite song on the album is the third track, “F*ck Me Eyes.” The song is 80s-esque, pulling from “Betty Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes and invoking Angelo Badalamenti’s soundtrack for “Twin Peaks.” “F*ck Me Eyes” follows Ethel’s view of another girl in Shady Grove, Holly Reddick, who has a reputation for being promiscuous. A lyric reveals that there’s rumors of her engaging in prostitution. Despite this, Ethel admires and is envious of her, believing that Willoughby is attracted to her.
Beyond “F*ck Me Eyes,” the album features multiple beautiful instrumental tracks, the heartbreaking lead single “Nettles,” a ballad sampling “Starts Will Fall” by Duster “Dust Bowl,” and a cathartic 15-minute closing track “Waco, Texas.”
“Willoughby Tucker” was the final installment of Ethel’s story, fans of “Preacher’s Daughter” know that she is murdered in the end, but Anhedönia has plans for two more albums for the story, “Preacher’s Wife” and “Mother of a Preacher.” If you love melancholic music or the southern gothic genre, I can’t recommend Ethel Cain enough, I give it 5/5 Big Oles.
