Ethel Cain has never been afraid of being ambitious and her newest album, Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You, is proof of her willingness to push her music beyond the ordinary. Serving as a prequel to her acclaimed 2022 record, Preacher’s Daughter, this project dives into the doomed romance between the narrator and Willoughby Tucker. Ethel Cain’s music has always been more than just a catchy tune. Her albums are interconnected with mythology. Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You serves as the earliest chapter in the mythos, introducing listeners to young Ethel before the tragedy of Preacher’s Daughter.

The album’s overarching theme is doomed, young love. Ethel first-hand experiences with how first love can be so overwhelming and seemingly unending is also tainted by fragility and loss. This tension is vividly captured in songs like Nettles which simultaneously confront the desire of being loved and mortality, inevitability permeates the narrative, even in the more subdued, ambient scenes. Ethel and Willoughby’s relationship is haunted, even as it blossoms, by the knowledge that it was never meant to last.

Musically, the album reflects this blend of intimacy and doom. Cain leads into her usual Southern Gothic style, mixing folk guitars, ambient drone, and dream-pop textures. Many tracks on this album are longer than the conventional song length, creating an immersive experience that I find comparable to listening to an audiobook. Ethel Cain’s unique style makes music worth listening to as it feels transformative. Trying to follow her story can be difficult to understand at first, but definitely worth it.

By weaving together character and story, Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You becomes more than just an album, but rather an essential chapter in her story. It captures her most vulnerable moments, wrapped around the finger of a lover. This album effortlessly blended Ethel’s story, but also blended Hayden Anhedönia’s unique music styles.