Snocaps: Snocaps [Album Review]

Snocaps
Snocaps
ANTI- [2025]

“A reunion that feels both instinctive and brand new—Snocaps proves the Crutchfield sisters still make indie magic together.”

Album Overview: Snocaps is a surprise reunion between twin sisters Katie and Allison Crutchfield, marking their first full-length collaboration since their teenage P.S. Eliot days. Both have carved out distinct musical paths—Katie as Waxahatchee, known for her poetic Americana, and Allison through the sharper indie rock of Swearin’. Now, joined by producer Brad Cook and guitarist MJ Lenderman, the Alabama-born siblings reconnect with a shared sense of purpose. Their history—rooted in DIY grit, emotional honesty, and sibling chemistry—shines through in every verse and harmony.

Across 13 tracks and a brisk 34 minutes, Snocaps captures the push and pull of two seasoned songwriters rediscovering their rhythm. It’s an album full of motion and memory—road trips, heartbreaks, and hard-won clarity. Lenderman’s understated guitar work and Cook’s grounded production give these songs room to breathe, letting the sisters’ voices weave naturally in and out. The result feels instinctive yet intentional—a record that meets high expectations and still surprises with its warmth and sincerity.

Musical Style: The sound of Snocaps walks the line between gritty ‘90s indie rock and the storytelling heart of Southern Americana. Guitars shimmer and scrape, percussion hits loose and live, and acoustic touches sneak through the cracks. It’s the kind of record that feels alive—equal parts garage and front porch. Echoes of alt-country and power pop drift in and out, but the foundation is all melody and momentum, held together by two voices that have grown up but never grown apart.

Evolution of Sound: Snocaps bridges the gap between the sisters’ separate evolutions. Katie’s solo work has leaned introspective and rootsy, while Allison’s has thrived on electric immediacy. Here, those worlds collide in the best way—unfiltered and free. It recalls the spontaneity of their early recordings but carries the self-assuredness of artists who’ve lived a lot since then. If Tigers Blood was Katie’s reflective exhale, Snocaps feels like both sisters taking a deep, energizing breath together.

Artists with Similar Fire: Fans of Big Thief’s emotional edge, Alvvays’ crisp hooks, or the steady indie pulse of Wednesday and Hop Along will be entertained. There’s also a little Lucinda Williams grit in the storytelling and the effortless camaraderie of Ratboys—the sound of harmony meeting heart head-on.

Pivotal Tracks: “Coast” opens the album with an unsteady rhythm that perfectly mirrors its forward drive—restless, uncertain, and full of life. “Wasteland” pairs Katie’s vivid lyricism with Lenderman’s slow-burning guitar lines, one of the album’s most haunting moments. “Over Our Heads” channels that old P.S. Eliot fire, with Allison taking lead and Lenderman’s riffs rolling beneath their layered vocals. “Cherry Hard Candy” snaps with rhythmic precision and bite, while closer “You in Rehab” delivers quiet devastation, Allison’s voice carrying both ache and endurance.

Lyrical Strength: The Crutchfields write like two halves of a shared memory. Their lyrics capture the tension between holding on and letting go—recovery, regret, and resilience all tangled together. They favor sharp, cinematic details—highways, headlights, unfinished conversations—that ground the emotional punch. When their voices blend, it feels like a homecoming: different perspectives finding harmony, both literally and figuratively.

Final Groove: Snocaps plays like a reunion we didn’t know we needed until it arrived. It’s familiar but not nostalgic—an album that looks back only long enough to move forward with confidence. There’s freedom in how it sounds and purpose in how it feels, proving that the Crutchfield sisters still have plenty of stories left to tell. Hopefully there will be a future for Snocaps, this record suggests it’ll be worth the wait.

KATIE CRUTCHFIELD REVIEW HISTORY
WAXAHATCHEE: Tigers Blood (2004) / Saint Cloud (2020) / Out In The Storm (2019) / Ivy Tripp (2015) / Cerulean Sea (2013)
PLAINS: I Walked With You A Ways (2022)

SNOCAPS LINKS
Website | Bandcamp | ANTI-