Expectations (Katie Pruitt album)

Expectations is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Katie Pruitt, released by Rounder Records on February 21, 2020. The album has received positive reviews from critics. The album is made up of compositions about Pruitt's life. On November 24, 2020, "Expectations" was nominated for a Grammy for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.
Reception.
 Album of the Year characterized the critical consensus as a 75 out of 100. For "Paste", Eric R. Danton gave "Expectations" a seven out of 10, praising the emotional depth of the lyrics but criticizing formulaic songwriting and some lyrics that fall flat. Sam Sodomsky of "Pitchfork" gave it the same rating, writing that it has strong arrangements and stately ballads. In "Exclaim!", Scott Roos gave it an eight out of 10 for truth-telling lyrics and a "first-rate" band. "American Songwriter"s Hal Horowitz scored "Expectations" at four out of five for wise production that accentuates her lyrics, along with a balance of musical genres. Introducing Pruitt for a feature, Kelly McCartney of "No Depression", called the release "stunning" and continued, "As an artist’s opening statement, the album is bold and beautiful, impactful and entertaining. It’s an exercise in courage so exquisitely raw that Brown would surely be proud of it." Joseph Hudak of "Rolling Stone" praised Pruitt's "nimble guitar playing" and "elastic voice". NPR's Jewly Hight characterized the album with, "Pruitt's done that with such clarity of expression and disarming intimacy—"Expectations" is aesthetically warmhearted even in its tensest moments of confrontation—that she's given her own family a greater understanding of her experience".