Preacher's Daughter

''Preacher's Daughter'' is the debut studio album by the American singer-songwriter and record producer Ethel Cain. It was released on May 12, 2022, through her independent record label Daughters of Cain. The album was entirely written and produced by Cain, with assistance from Steven Mark Colyer and Matthew Tomasi on certain tracks.

''Preacher's Daughter'' is a concept album with a narrative that centers on fictional characters, exploring themes such as family trauma and sexual violence. It was inspired by the artist's personal life as the daughter of a deacon. Sonically, it experiments with Americana, dark ambient, and elements of several other genres. Cain was inspired by mainstream artists Florence Welch and Lana Del Rey for her vocal performance on the album. It incorporates predominant Southern Gothic imagery with religious and American aesthetics. Three singles—"Gibson Girl", "Strangers", and " American Teenager"—preceded ''Preacher's Daughter'' between March and April 2022, the latter accompanied by a music video. To promote the album, Cain embarked on her first two concert tours, the Freezer Bride Tour in 2022 and the Blood Stained Blonde Tour in 2023, through North America, Europe, and Oceania.

Upon its release, ''Preacher's Daughter'' was met with acclaim from music critics, with praise towards its storytelling and songwriting, and Cain's vocal performance. Many critics named it one of the best albums of the year, while ''Paste'' included it on a mid-decade ranking. A standout for reviewers, "American Teenager" was deemed by ''Billboard'' and ''Rolling Stone'' one of the best LGBTQ songs of all time. The album has also garnered Cain a cult following online. Following its release via physical formats in April 2025, it reached the top-10 on the record charts of Australia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. ''Preacher's Daughter'' is the first part of a trilogy of albums, which Cain intends to portray through a series of novels and an accompanying film. A prequel to the album, titled '' Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You'', is scheduled to be released in August 2025.

Background and development

Hayden Silas Anhedönia developed an interest in music at a young age. She was involved in a church choir from a Southern Baptist community where her father was a deacon; it was her first exposure to music. Influenced by a variety of Christian music, she began studying classical piano at age 8. She left the church at the age of 16. Two years later, after leaving her religious family home in Florida, she began her gender transition process and started writing her debut studio album.

In 2017, she released bedroom pop demos of songs under different monikers. As White Silas, she first published Gregorian chant-inspired singles and mixtapes to SoundCloud and Tumblr. Two years later, she began her main project, Ethel Cain, with the extended plays (EPs) ''Carpet Bed'' and ''Golden Age''. She then signed to the publishing company Prescription Songs, and created her own imprint Daughters of Cain.

Cain's debut album had an initial duration of two hours and a half. Before the idea of ''Preacher's Daughter'', Cain was working on a different concept album "about angels and stuff"; she stated that she was under "LSD psychosis withdrawals" at the time. She changed the course of the album when she found a piano sample that inspired her to write the song "A House in Nebraska" in one day. Cain first opted for an album about "prairie women", inspired by her vision of a woman in a field that recalled her to ''Little House on the Prairie'', and envisioned the album's protagonist as a cult leader. "Strangers" was then written in 10 minutes, without the intention for it to become the album's final track. She declared that "a week or two" after watching the 1991 film ''Thelma & Louise'', she wrote "Thoroughfare" and the album "shifted into a new gear", and was inspired to see "where he storywas truly going". She also listened to horror podcasts and spent time at country stores and estate sales while making the record.

Cain gained prominence in 2021 by releasing her third EP under the moniker, ''Inbred''. The EP marked a departure from Cain's previous bedroom production and served as a teaser of how her full-length debut would sound. Developed over four years, Cain wrote and produced all 13 tracks on ''Preacher's Daughter'', with assistance from two collaborators: the multi-instrumentalist Matthew Tomasi and the musician Steven Mark Colyer.

Concept and themes

Overview

''Preacher's Daughter'' is a concept album inspired by Cain's own struggles with culture and religion, but centered on the fictional character of the same name, a girl who suffered abuse from her father and escapes from her Christian family and community. The artist stated that the character is her alter ego, and described it as her "dark, evil twin". The overall lyrical themes of the album include transgenerational trauma, toxic relationships, and cultist Christianity, and some of the content is a criticism to the "American Dream". The story of the album is set in the southern United States in 1991, ten years after the death of the town's preacher, the main character's father. Writing for '' Vox'', Emily St. James found the album's characterization similar to Truman Capote's 1966 novel ''In Cold Blood'' and the works of Flannery O'Connor.

Cain has stated that ''Preacher's Daughter'' was the first chapter of the story, with an intention to write a series of novels, as well as directing and starring in an accompanying film. In an interview with ''The Line of Best Fit'' in December 2022, she also expressed interest in continuing a trilogy of albums, with the second and third titled ''Preacher’s Wife'' and ''Mother of a Preacher'', respectively. She dubbed the trilogy "the Ethel Cain Cinematic Universe". A prequel to ''Preacher's Daughter'', titled '' Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You'', is scheduled to be released in August 2025. Originally described as a companion EP, it eventually became Cain's second studio album.

Songs

On the album's prologue, titled "Family Tree" and subtitled "(Intro)", Cain explores transgenerational trauma. It begins with a distorted recording of a Southern preacher explaining the significance of the mother as an icon. The intro is followed by " American Teenager", on which the artist is critical to the "American Dream", expresses anti-war themes, and criticizes gun culture in the United States. On the torch song "A House in Nebraska", Cain relays the story of herself and a partner's lives, named Willoughby, while missing them and their home base in Nebraska. The same partner is portrayed as a crime-committing bad boy on "Western Nights", which romanticizes their dark and abusive relationship and how she would do anything for them. ''Beats Per Minute'' Tom Williams drew comparisons between the lyrics of "Western Nights" and Lana Del Rey's '' Ultraviolence'' (2014).

The lyrics of the fourth track, "Family Tree", are about her relationship with Christianity and a complicated family network marked by violence. On "Hard Times", Cain longs for the love of a distant father who perpetuated sexual abuse to her, and pleads him, "Tell me a story about how it ends, where you're still the good guy. I'll make pretend". She also reflects about wanting to "emulate the fatherly authorities in her life who brought her harm", according to Devon Chodzin from ''Paste''. The seventh track, "Thoroughfare", finds Cain meeting a man in Texas, who tells her not to escape from his truck. The protagonist "hop right in" as they go towards the west of the United States, while she affirms: Cause for the first time since I was a child/I could see a man who wasn't angry." "Gibson Girl" is a violent song told from the perspective of a prostitute. On the track, she narrates a situation of abuse from her new partner, detailing how sexuality on the album often directly proximate to violence and death.

On "Ptolemaea", Cain goes through hallucinations induced by drugs. While a distorted male voice says "gave you, need you, love you"; the character begs to "stop". It was influenced by the artist's love for horror movies. The song was named after one of four concentric rings of the ninth circle of Hell in Dante's '' Inferno'', dedicated to those who betrayed their guests. "Ptolemaea" is followed by two instrumental tracks—"August Underground" and "Televangelism". The former represents Cain trying to escape from her lover, who ultimately kills her, and the latter allegorises her ascent to Heaven. "Sun Bleached Flies", the penultimate song on ''Preacher's Daughter'', finds the character reflecting from beyond the grave; she later recalls the third track: "I'm still praying for that house in Nebraska." She looks back lamenting her detachment from faith and her community. The final track on the album, "Strangers", starts with another monologue from the preacher, who talks about the paradise awaiting believers after death. The track sees Cain as a "freezer bride" in her killer's basement, who cannibalizes her. She tries to have validation from her lover and religion, and then focuses on her mother in the final verse of the song and album: "Mama, just know that I love you / And I'll see you when you get here".

Music and style

''Preacher's Daughter'' was described variously by critics as an Americana and dark ambient album with perceived influences from slowcore, heartland rock, gospel, industrial, noise, and horror-electronica. The album's sound is built around piano, grunge guitars, and "muddy sounds". Several of its tracks are power ballads, while the majority of them introduce guitar solos, mainly inspired by stadium rock and hair rock. The album contains cock rock riffs, sludge and drone instrumentals, and draws inspiration from Gregorian chants and choral vocals. Cain cited mainstream artists Florence Welch and Lana Del Rey as vocal inspirations. Many music critics observed similarities between ''Preacher's Daughter'' and the music of Del Rey, while Shaad D'Souza for ''The Guardian'' also added Grouper to the comparisons.

The dark and heavy production of "Family Tree", subtitled "(Intro)", contrasts with the energetic first half of the album. The most upbeat track on the album, "American Teenager", is led by synthesizers and guitars. Self-described by Cain as a "fake pop song", reviewers compared its sound to the works of several musicians, including Khalid, Taylor Swift, and Bruce Springsteen. "A House in Nebraska" is built over piano chords and includes a maximalist crescendo with electric guitars and drums, which Caitlin White of ''Uproxx'' believed it was close to shoegaze. Cain then explores with pop rock on "Western Nights". Less pop elements are present on the album as it progresses. The tracks "Family Tree" and "Gibson Girl" incorporate distorted white noise and piano; Meaghan Garvey from NPR described the latter as "hate-f*** R&B" and compared its production to a "strip club death march". The album's centerpiece, "Thoroughfare", is a country-inspired track led by harmonica and acoustic guitar; it is structured as an epic. The track is also built around reverberated drums and intensified vocals; it concludes with a sequence led by tambourines and scat singing. The longest song on the album, it is one of the tracks that lean more towards a roots-inspired sound along with "Hard Times", according to Rytlewski. The critic compared Cain's clear vocal performance on these songs to the style of Natalie Merchant. With buzzing flies as its background, "Ptolemaea" draws from industrial, metal, and "harder rock", according to White. The instrumental track "Televangelism" features echoed piano, which according to Chodzin, recalls Grouper's '' Grid of Points'' (2018). The closer tracks on ''Preacher's Daughter'', "Sun Bleached Flies" and "Strangers", add elements of country and rock.

Artwork and aesthetics

''Preacher's Daughter'' has predominant Southern Gothic imagery. Cain's on-stage performances for the album were inspired by Edwardian fashion and Americana style. The cover artwork of the album depicts Cain sitting below a painting of Jesus Christ, wearing a vintage white dress and heels. In an interview with ''Nylon'', Cain stated that she wanted the cover to be "a little creepy, like an eerie photograph found under your grandmother's bed of a relative she never told you about". She also revealed that it took "about 8 selects", but chose the one where " erface was morphed slightly". Promotional visuals for tracks from the album feature grainy shots of empty cabins and churches with American flags, with lights turned on, ceiling fans running, and crucifixes on wood-panelled walls.

Promotion and release

Cain announced that her debut album would be titled ''Preacher's Daughter'' on March 17, 2022, and revealed its release date. Alongside the album's announcement, Cain shared its track listing via social media. She also released the lead single of the album, "Gibson Girl". The following month, "Strangers" and "American Teenager" were released as the second and third single respectively; the latter gained an accompanying video in July. ''Preacher's Daughter'' was self-released on May 12, 2022, through Daughters of Cain. It has since gained a cult following online. The album was initially slated to be issued physically for the first time on January 17, 2025, through a vinyl LP format; the release was then delayed for April 4.

To promote the album, Cain hosted album release shows in Los Angeles and New York City, on May 18 and May 25, 2022, respectively. She also performed live on KEXP, and at WNXP's ''Sonic Cathedral'' in Nashville, Tennessee. As part of Vevo's "DSCVR Artists to Watch 2023" series, the singer recorded live performances for "A House in Nebraska" and "Thoroughfare".

In June 2022, Cain confirmed via social media that she would be embarking on her first concert tour across the United States, titled the Freezer Bride Tour. Weeks later, she announced several dates across Europe, in the United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, and France. She also embarked on the Blood Stained Blonde Tour in 2023, which marked her Coachella Festival debut. Cain performed at other festivals such as Pitchfork Music Festival, Vivid Sydney, and Reading and Leeds Festivals, and served as a supporting act for Florence and the Machine's Dance Fever Tour, Caroline Polachek's Spiraling Tour, and Boygenius's The Tour.

Critical reception

Music publications reported that ''Preacher's Daughter'' received critical acclaim upon its release. The album holds a score of 82 out of 100 based on eight reviews from the media aggregate site Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim". The review aggregator site AnyDecentMusic? gave the album a score of 8.2 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus from 12 reviews.

Several critics praised Cain's vocal performance on the album. Writing for '' Clash'', Oshen Douglas McCormick described it as "prodigious" and said that it demands an emotional reception from the listener. Garland and Chodzin opined that it is broad in range, while the former also commended her songwriting. ''The Guardian'' Rachel Aroesti also praised the album for its lyrical content and "atmospheric potency". ''Sputnikmusic'' Jesper L. admired the storytelling and arrangements, and described the album as "an astonishing accomplishment". Similarly, Williams believed that the sound of ''Preacher's Daughter'' is as "heavy and unsettling" as its lyrical content and aesthetics.

McCormick wrote that Cain's musical journey reached "a new height" with ''Preacher's Daughter'', and described it as "a truly realised culmination of style and composition". Paul Bridgewater from ''The Line of Best Fit'' praised the album's as cohesive and compared it positively to other debut projects, later expressing an excitement for Cain's subsequent career.

Less favorably, ''Pitchfork'' writer Evan Rytlewski noted a disconnect between the singer's "provocative public image and the rigid composure of hesongs". He also criticized the album's length, believing that at times "she sounds like she's writing to run out the clock". Aroesti similarly thought that "by the end it's impossible to ignore the fact that this is a long record with flagging momentum".

Rankings

At the end of 2022, ''Preacher's Daughter'' was included on several publications' lists of the best albums of the year, being named the best by ''Crack'', ''The Line of Best Fit'', and ''Sputnikmusic''. A standout according to critics, the track "American Teenager" was placed between the best LGBTQ songs of all time by ''Billboard'' and ''Rolling Stone'', and was ranked at number 29 on ''Pitchfork'' list of the best songs of the decade so far. In 2024, ''Paste'' ranked ''Preacher's Daughter'' at number 43 on "The 100 Best Albums of the 2020s So Far".

Commercial performance

Although a critical success, the album initially failed to chart. After years of gaining cult following, upon its 2025 vinyl release, ''Preacher's Daughter'' sold 37,000 copies between April 4 and April 10, 2025, leading to its debut at numbers ten and one on the ''Billboard'' 200 and Top Album Sales, respectively. This achievement made Cain the first openly transgender artist to earn a top 10 entry on the former chart.

Track listing

All tracks written and produced by Ethel Cain, except where noted.

Charts

Release history

Notes

References

External links

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2022 debut albums
2020s concept albums
Ethel Cain albums
Southern Gothic media
Americana albums
Folk albums by American artists
Ethereal wave albums
Dark ambient albums