The Rough Harmonies of Sharon Van Etten
The New York Times apparently doesn’t allow their videos to be embedded (good luck with that, NYT), so you’ll have to click through if you want to watch a video of Sharon Van Etten showing the Times around my neighborhood and performing a gorgeous rendition of “We Are Fine” in the front room of my local bar. I promise it’s worth the click, though I’m probably a little biased, seeing how this piece is basically the perfect storm of things that I love (I eat way too many meals at that brunch place too!). Van Etten’s new record Tramp is stunning, by the way—a huge leap forward for her in terms of both songwriting and production (it’s worth noting that it was produced right here in Ditmas Park by the National’s Aaron Dessner). Tramp is out this Tuesday on Jagjaguwar—in the meantime, you can stream it in its entirety over at NPR.
Judging by the critical response to her forthcoming LP epic, Sharon Van Etten is on the cusp of something big. As Lars put it, as we stood in the rain in central park waiting for Pavement to come on (insert Crooked Rain joke here), she’s that rare singer-songwriter who seemingly everyone can agree on. A lot of that, I think, has to do with the conviction and poise with which she delivers her unflinchingly candid songs. It also doesn’t hurt that she possesses a warm yet sorrowful voice that has a way of commanding attention in a crowded room (you could have heard a pin drop during her set at DC9 earlier this month). Check out my review and photos from Van Etten’s recent D.C. date at PopMatters and stream epic in its entirety (until September 28th) at NPR.
