Rife with ’80s synths and style reminiscent of the classic show Twin Peaks, this song combines the past and present to create something magical. This song continues the story of jealousy, detailing Cain’s envy of the popular girl at school, terrified that she wants to steal Tucker away. This fear is encapsulated in “Nettles,” which switches genres back to a romantic country/folk ballad. Cain, in a press release, said, “‘Nettles’ became a dream of losing the one you love, asking them to reassure you that it won’t come true and to dream, instead, of all the time you’ll have together as you grow old side by side.” The eight-minute song is a tearful combination of banjo, guitars, and piano that captures the feeling of missing something before it is even gone. 

“Willoughby’s Interlude” is the midpoint ambient instrumental that precedes the start of the descent into darkness on the album. “Dust Bowl” continues as an anxiety-inducing track about fleeting love. Lyrics repeat with a slow guitar backtrack as Cain’s gorgeous vocals reminisce on the relationship. She knows it’s over, but is too scared to let go, which is shown on the otherworldly track “A Knock At The Door.” It is like listening to a ghost; the heavy reverb of the instrumental is haunted by Cain’s high-pitched, dreamlike vocals. “Radio Towers” is the final instrumental track of the album, one that is punctuated with a constant beeping similar to that of a heart monitor. This beeping continues into Cain’s final goodbye in “Tempest,” in which she comes to terms with the end of the relationship, realizing that she will always be alone. The end of the heavy, slow, and drum-filled track comes abruptly in the middle of Cain repeating “forever.” This leaves the listener to sit in silence, along with Cain, to accept that Tucker is truly gone. Closing the album is the fifteen-minute masterpiece of “Waco, Texas.” It’s a slow and quiet dream in which Tucker never left. Sonically, it is more upbeat compared to the rest of the tracks; however, the pain within Cain’s vocals is striking. She is stuck in this frozen moment of time where her first love is still there; symbolically, she died when he left, but lives on as a ghost, unable to change. 

A Race to Grow Up

Through Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You, Ethel Cain has the ability to weave a masterful web of interconnected stories that bring to life her dark and twisted fairytale. The songs themselves are bewitching in their production and enchanting in their visceral storytelling. Cain is casting a spell on her listeners through wistful vocals that evoke nostalgia and tragic understanding in equal measure. Cain is doomed to eternally love Willoughby Tucker, but listeners are blessed to have the opportunity to love this album eternally. 

Listen to Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube today.