Allison Crutchfield "Tourist In This Town"
Apologies to Allison Crutchfield, as I cannot figure out a way to write this blurb without letting you know that she is the sister of Merge-lablemate Katie Crutchfield (she of Waxahatchee). But this is no Gallagher/Gallagher II situation, but rather an Albert Brooks/Super Dave Osborne situation. Sure, Allison has been in the Waxahatchee live band, as well as in her bands Swearin’ and P.S. Elliot, but her solo career started in 2014 with her first self-titled EP. This year is when she releases her Merge Records debut. Tourist In This Town features some great west coast twang, along with some east coast grit, indie-pop. At times synth-y, always with a rock beat, and lyrical stream of consciousness and conversationally not whole unlike Fred Thomas. Check out the Cure-esque guitars of “Dean’s Room.”