Southern Gothic

Along the way, she visits strange and mystical worlds packed with nods to Southern Gothic motifs and the complicated, real-life history of the region.

Negron’s stylistic and storytelling influences are varied: from the retro technology and stylish imagery of “The Rocketeer” to a Southern Gothic aesthetic born of a Baptist upbringing.

Accent and idiom are firmly in command as she transitions from Southern Gothic to surrealist horror, never losing sight of a character who’s as fragile as she is formidable.

I loved the Southern Gothic vibe in this legal whodunit set in a small community outside Charleston, S.C.

“Punish,” the latest offering from the Southern Gothic alt-pop star Ethel Cain, is a smoldering slow burn, a sparse piano ballad that stretches for nearly seven minutes and gradually corrodes.