What compels an artist to turn down the noise and allow the voice to take center stage? Courage? Maturity? In the case of singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield, who performs under the band name Waxahatchee, it seems to be a mixture of both. In 2017 you could barely hear her vocals underneath a barrage of distorted guitars. Now Crutchfield, with her new album Saint Cloud, has transitioned from indie-rock to folk-Americana, creating an instant classic of US songwriting and delivering a powerful message of personal growth. The transition has worked. The Guardian gave it a “best album of the year” review and in the US, Saint Cloud, arrived at No. 1 on Heatseekers Albums. The band is named after Waxahatchee Creek, Alabama, where Crutchfield grew up.