Album Review: You Had Me at Goodbye by Samantha Crain

With John Vanderslice on board as producer for a third straight time, Samantha Crain's fifth album, You Had Me at Goodbye, takes a fairly bold step away from her more rustic earlier releases toward a brighter if still earthy indie pop. Electronic keys, synths, and Brill Building-type strings, as opposed to fiddle, step in to reinforce guitars, piano, and drums. Crain has said that the record is dedicated to and inspired by strong women, and it opens with the retro sounds of early girl groups on "Antiseptic Greeting." Glistening strings, mallet percussion, bass, and drum kit set an atmospheric groove as the singer feels the need to apologize for not being bubbly while running into people she doesn't want to see.

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