A messy postmortem of a bad relationship, Katie Crutchfield’s fourth album as Waxahatchee is thrillingly alive with recrimination, regret and release. Opening with a storm of bright, serrated guitars, it’s also her best, most arresting collection yet. Recorded with Dinosaur Jr and Sonic Youth collaborator John Agnello, there’s no filler among these 10 songs, from the summer-breezily defiant Silver, via the grungy swing and swagger of Brass Beam, to the rueful Belly-ish balladry of A Little More. Among the best is Sparks Fly, a soft awakening in which Crutchfield sheds guilt and thrills in her single self: “I see myself through my sister’s eyes/ I’m a live wire, electrified.”
