February 26, 2025

Written by: Kiera Roedel | Copy Editor

Content warning: This article contains mentions of religious trauma, depression, suicide, murder, alcoholism, drug addiction, abusive relationships, domestic violence, police violence, child sexual abuse, prostitution, kidnapping and cannibalism.

Ethel Cain is the name of Hayden Anhedönia’s solo music project. Her music focuses around themes of depression, trauma, Americana and religion, and her voice and musical styling are not dissimilar to the work of Lana Del Rey from the late 2010s. Cain’s 2022 record “Preacher’s Daughter” is a partially autobiographical concept album. It tells the life story of a preacher’s daughter, including stories about her childhood in the American South, adulthood, death and afterlife. The raw emotion on display is accentuated by gaunt instrumentation and especially by Cain’s exquisite vocals, which can convey more pain than a motivational speech even when not using a single actual word. The lyrics evoke some cruel cross between true crime and Gothic horror, gray and dismal. 

“Family Tree (Intro)” — Cain discusses in no uncertain terms how her character — the preacher’s daughter — was doomed from the start by her heritage. She portrays the allegorical concept of a “family tree” as a literal tree, one from which Cain is “swinging by (her) neck,” and compares her own family to that of Christ. Throbbing percussion combined with Cain’s slurring vocals make this an engaging listen and a fantastic opening track.

“American Teenager” — It is here that the story of the preacher’s daughter begins. “American Teenager” is the album’s third single and its most radio-friendly song, with structured lyrics and some addictive synths. Cain discusses her character’s isolation in the rural American South, condemning the nationalistic, Christian, individualist culture that pulses through those environments. To cope, the preacher’s daughter turns to liquor and religion, the latter being something from which she tries and fails to escape throughout the record.

“A House in Nebraska” — Here the preacher’s daughter experiences one of her few content moments in life, describing her time spent loving a man who eventually abandons her. Seven minutes long, even this reminiscence is not soaked in joy; ambient-adjacent vocals, strong percussion and soulful guitar accentuate the melancholy. Cain describes a dirty mattress, bed sores, dirt roads — the epitome of “alone together.”

“Western Nights” — After being shunned by the man in the house in Nebraska, the preacher’s daughter turns to another lover, this one abusive and violent. Despite his faults, she describes her unbreaking love for and codependence on him. Cain sings like she just finished crying her eyes out, over thundering piano chords.

“Family Tree” — “Family Tree” is the only song on the album where the story felt obfuscated. Its lyrics describe a wedding, baptism and threats of violence, but apparently are intended to be about running from the police after the man from “Western Nights” is killed during an armed robbery. Plus, the song isn’t really related to the intro track that shares its name. The guitar solo, however, is sensational.

“Hard Times” — Over some subtle piano and drums, Cain describes the preacher’s daughter’s history of being sexually abused by her father — the preacher — when she was “too young / to notice / that some types of love could be bad.” The events described in the song are not directly autobiographical, but that doesn’t make them any less horrific. Absolutely devastating, and perfectly executed.

“Thoroughfare” —  “Thoroughfare” is a ten-minute epic about the preacher’s daughter running away from home, when she encounters a strange man named Isaiah who promises to take her to California in his truck. On the ensuing long road trip, she slowly falls in love with him, and he with her. However, later lyrics and some lore posted online by Cain indicate that Isaiah actually kidnapped the preacher’s daughter, rather than her going with him consensually. The song starts acoustically, complete with harmonica, but builds to an electric guitar solo before falling away once again, and it is stunning from start to finish.

“Gibson Girl” — Taking its name from a drawing that was once considered to depict the pinnacle of American beauty standards, “Gibson Girl” describes the preacher’s daughter’s work in California as a prostitute and her simultaneous development of a drug addiction. Isaiah encourages her the whole way through, saying “if it feels good / then it can’t be bad.” This was the album’s first single, and is well-deserving of it; I’m especially in love with the drums through the choruses and the outro.

“Ptolemaea” — A million words could describe this song — shoegaze, terror, demonic, chilling — but not even all one million would be enough to honor it. Beginning with an echoing masculine chant, Cain’s voice cuts in like that of an angel. She sings of her fear of Isaiah while he has a psychotic breakdown of some kind. The climax of the song, and really of the album, comes when Cain begins to repeat the word “stop” with building intensity, the final one a bloodcurdling shriek as Isaiah dismembers her. This isn’t one I would ever choose to listen to individually, but as the peak of “Preacher’s Daughter” it is transcendent.

“August Underground” — While “August Underground” lacks lyrics, Cain’s wordless vocals take a prominent role. If death itself had a soundtrack, this would be it.

“Televangelism” — Also an instrumental, “Televangelism” is much brighter and less terrifying than either of the preceding two songs. Predominantly piano, it depicts the preacher’s daughter’s ascent into heaven, and is beautiful to match.

“Sun Bleached Flies” — From heaven, Cain reflects on her life and its few bright spots. In a particularly powerful bridge, she describes what I interpret as meeting God, and she realizes that she misses being alive, especially the man in the house in Nebraska. With driven but digestible instrumentation, “Sun Bleached Flies” is nothing short of cathartic.

“Strangers” — The closer of “Preacher’s Daughter” is also its second single. “Strangers” shows the preacher’s daughter in heaven, watching Isaiah cannibalize her body, and wishing she never fell in love with him. The outro is the most touching thing here — the preacher’s daughter speaks directly to her mother over acoustic guitar, telling her she doesn’t blame her for what happened. Especially interesting is the fact that no woman characters had been previously mentioned except the preacher’s daughter herself. “Strangers” is an excellent closer, bringing together the highlights of the album’s musical style into a cohesive whole.

The strengths of “Preacher’s Daughter” rest primarily in the story it tells and the soundscape it creates — less like music and more like the listener is just floating around inside Cain’s head throughout the course of these events. This isn’t a flawless record, but in some ways that just makes it more perfect. Absolutely worth a listen.

Contact the author at howlcopyeditor@wou.edu