While her last two records featured the kind of big guitars, well-honed noise, and battering sounds that characterized her Philadelphia scene and strongly influenced a burgeoning new class of singer-songwriters, 'Saint Cloud' strips back those layers to create space for Katie Crutchfield's voice and lyrics. The result is a classic americana sound with modern touches befitting an artist who has emerged as one of the signature storytellers of her time. Many of the narratives on the album concern addiction and the havoc it wreaks on ourselves and our loved ones, as Crutchfield comes to a deeper understanding of love not only for those around her but for herself.