Sharon Van Etten – ‘Sharon Van Etten and the Attachment Theory’ album review: a freeing leap of faith
THE SKINNY: I’ve always suspected that one day I’d find myself head over heels for a Sharon Van Etten release. When the New Jersey indie folk artist is on top form, she’s up there with the best of them, but never has she managed to sustain her brilliance over the course of an entire album in a way that has been able to grab me. With Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory, she’s delivered the most complete-sounding album of her career to date, and she couldn’t have done it in a more emphatic fashion.
Freeing herself from the regular routine of coming into the studio with songs already written and choosing to place all of the responsibility of completing an album on her own head, her decision to create Attachment Theory in full collaboration with her band sees her shift far away from the rigid process of labouring over her music. In allowing others to contribute to the process, everything feels far more natural and at ease, and the stylistic shifts that she has previously only flirted with in the past are allowed to blossom due to this altered process.
Born from desert jam sessions, the chemistry on show between Van Etten and her three bandmates is palpable from the get-go, and this newfound agency to delve further into dreamy synthpop and occasional disco territory means that it’s her most sonically varied album as well. It seems as though few ideas were dismissed on account of straying too far from her traditional approach, and that subtle diversions into new realms were actively encouraged.
The gentleness of her past efforts isn’t abandoned entirely, but Attachment Theory sees Van Etten attack her songs with a more frequent sense of vigour, and her strengths are being utilised to a different effect. Where previously, her powerful vocal projection was utilised sparingly and only in places where it would provide dynamic contrast and emotional intensity, here it feels a lot less restrained and is used in a way that commands the song.
Because of this added dynamism, there’s a sense of drama in the way the band aid her as she builds tension and releases it. The themes of love, tenderness, anger and confusion are all places Van Etten has previously visited in her lyrics, but they’re reliable sources to draw from and never needed altering – the musicianship is what provides them with the extra urgency.
Van Etten might have a band backing her every move, but she’s still very much in control of things, and her signatures are still present across the record. The band are simply there to afford her more freedom to try new things, and this complete refresh of her method has paid off dramatically. If it was a sense of curiosity to see what collaborating with her band would deliver, then it’ll be fascinating to know what questions she’ll ask of her band going forward.
For fans of: Hitting the motorway in a top-down convertible, impromptu trips to the disco, letting go of old habits.
A concluding comment from a child psychologist: “Playing your infant this album is sure to help you form a bond with them. It might not stop them from crying though.”
Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory track by track:
Release Date: February 7th | Producer: Marta Salogni | Label: Jagjaguwar
‘Live Forever’: All albums should strive to open with a brooding epic of this calibre, and this song immediately highlights the freedom with which Van Etten and her band approached the record. As the throbbing synths emphatically swell and allow her voice to soar over the top, we’re immediately exposed to the record’s ambitious nature. Encompassing every style that appears across the 10 tracks, think of this opener as the mission statement. [5/5]
‘Afterlife’: Following the titanic opener is the record’s biggest stab at a pop hit. The production on this is just as glistening as it is on the opener, but the grandeur is presented in a slightly different manner. It still has a bombastic drumbeat and chords in the chorus that are allowed to ring out to create this real sense of dynamism, and Van Etten’s vocals are just as well suited to the jaunty, uptempo vibe as they are the melodrama of the opener. [4/5]
‘Idiot Box’: Van Etten chooses to show that she can still write driving indie rock here, and while ‘Idiot Box’ is perhaps the closest the album gets to her past output, it also feels like the outlier on the album due to how it doesn’t feel quite as expansive as the rest of the album. The bassline between the verse and chorus, however, is sumptuous. [3.5/5]
‘Trouble’: Built around another lilting bassline, ‘Trouble’ is also not far from past ventures of Van Etten’s, but there’s a warmth to this track that its predecessor lacked. It’s serene, dreamy and floats over you with the lightness of a feather. [4/5]
‘Indio’: If you played this song to me and told me it was Alvvays, I wouldn’t have bat an eyelid. That’s not to say that it’s ripping them off, though; the jangly verses and grittier chorus are a combination that still packs a punch, and Van Etten delivers both elements with such conviction that it feels natural for her to be dipping her toes into these newer territories. [4.5/5]
‘I Can’t Imagine (Why You Feel This Way)’: Okay, we’re getting ‘Disco Sharon’ now, and I’m totally here for it. She’s flirted with uptempo in this fashion in the past on tracks like ‘Comeback Kid’ and ‘Mistakes’, but never in a million years did I think I’d hear her fully commit to a four-to-the-floor beat with such potency. It works, and it suits her. Really fucking well. [4.5/5]
‘Somethin’ Ain’t Right’: This has a similar drive to it as ‘Afterlife’ did, and while it sort of slinks its way into gothic-rock territory, it has more of a positive bounce to it. You can almost hum The Cult’s ‘She Sells Sanctuary’ over the top of it at points, but I suggest that you don’t, as that takes away from what is another of the album’s heavy hitters. [4/5]
‘Southern Life (What It Must Be Like)’: Once again, the production on this track makes everything seem huge. It’s great to see Van Etten really projecting everything in areas where subtlety always used to reign supreme. It shows a boldness and a braveness that has never really come out so frequently on her records in the past. [4/5]
‘Fading Beauty’: One might argue that you’re not meant to ascend like this until the album’s finale, but ‘Fading Beauty’ has an extraordinary build from being a sparse, yet inviting meditation to fully bathing the listener in its blissfulness. Maybe don’t bliss out too much, though; we’re not done yet. [4.5/5]
‘I Want You Here’: Where ‘Fading Beauty’ only builds slightly and holds back from having a grand climax, the true finale is a defiant declaration of desire and devotion. This cinematic closer is everything the listener could’ve asked for, and a perfect way to round up what might be the most confident release of Van Etten’s career to date. [5/5]
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