Ethel Cain debuted her new song, “Punish,” on Nov. 1 as a single for her upcoming album, “Perverts.”
Ethel Cain, a stage name for singer Hayden Anhedönia, gained immense popularity in 2022 with her album “Preacher’s Daughter,” which tells the gut-wrenching story of young Ethel Cain leaving her hometown, journeying to the west and coming face-to-face with her fate.
The album rose to fame quickly with its fans dissecting the “lore” and indulging in the story, intoxicated by its haunting and melancholy sound. Cain’s silky tone amplifies the emotion of her lyrics and the intensity of the music itself.
Cain has not released any albums since, though fans have speculated a new project has been in the works. These rumors were confirmed with the release date for “Perverts,” Jan. 8, announced alongside “Punish.”
Some have theorized that this new album could be a continuation of the original story of Ethel Cain told in “Preacher’s Daughter,” though nothing has been said by Anhedönia to confirm these suspicions.
“Punish” runs for six minutes and 47 seconds, making it a fairly long work in comparison to releases by other popular artists at the moment.
The song starts off with short, ghost-like coos that permeate the space before piano chords begin to break up the silence that the echoes occupy. The piano is soft and gentle, welcoming in Cain’s twinkling voice.
With less of a belt and more of a croon, the lyrics Cain sings reflect on her insecurities in love and her shortcomings due to shame. She repeats over and over how she is “punished by love,” explaining the title of the track.
While the song starts off rather slow, the pace begins to build. The singing of the lyrics picks up, with each word growing closer and closer together in contrast to the beginning of the song where each vowel was elongated.
Finally, the levee breaks and the bass drops. Though, this isn’t a typical “bass drop” in the sense that this has an edge to it that makes it more raw and emotional, cutting through the softness of the piece that had been established by her gentle voice and steady piano.
Her vocals grow more restless, and the piano is nearly unnoticeable beneath the sound of the guitar feedback-like bass that fills the air. These types of changes are characteristic in Cain’s music, making it enticing for listeners as you never truly know what comes next.
The sound is noticeably different from that of “Preacher’s Daughter,” and the overall vibe is more unsettling. Her vocals reach a higher register than most of her other songs, making “Punish” increasingly atmospheric and intriguing for returning listeners to see where she takes the rest of the album.
Cain does a spectacular job in this song of building suspense up until the bass drops, yet the softness of the start does not disengage the listener. Rather, it allows for each individual to be met with a range of emotions within one song, emulating the human experience.
Within most of her music, Cain can connect to her audience with emotions that are often imperfect, such as fear, anxiety, guilt or anger. She weaves whispers, distant echoes, screams and more into her tracks to relate to the parts of humanity that her listeners may feel ashamed of.
However, she is able to make such emotions digestible and seem less “ugly” through the characteristically beautiful nature of her music, allowing her audience to come to terms with their emotions while enjoying her songs.
“Punish” is an evocative piece that deems the rest of the upcoming album very promising, continuing to connect people with their humanity and allowing them to accept all parts of themselves.