After the glorious achievement of producing two epic modern classics in ‘Seventeen’ and ‘Like We Used To’ Sharon Van Etten’s last album was more understated, hazy and, for me, a little bit of a let down overall. After regrouping Sharon decided to try something new for this project – working collaboratively with her band on the songwriting and vision for the first time. The results are still resolutely a Sharon Van Etten album but there’s something more edgy and dramatic to the style and the sound.
There’s a menacing beginning to the album with the echoing refrain ‘who wants to live forever’ and new wave synths mixing with electronic beats, bringing back an 80s goth feel. Then she’s immediately in the ‘Afterlife’ where she uses her higher register to create an eerie, evocative sound. The band have discussed being influenced by Eurythmics and also Kate Bush, and you can hear these two these echoing through this song in particular.
Despite that retro sound this album does include a brilliant take on the modern world in ‘Idiot Box’. Here she’s lamenting the ‘blue light eyes’ of the average person staring at screens all day ending up ‘nervous, tired, desensitised’ and wow does this one hit home. There’s almost a kind of U2 level of euphoria, with a Bowie influence too making this one by far the catchiest on the album and one of her best ever songs. It feels to me as good as ‘Digital Witness’ by St Vincent in terms of addressing the evils of social media.
After that high the album does take a more introspective turn with ‘Trouble’ which is brooding and downbeat. ‘Indio’ is a kind of dreamy indie rock song, something the NME would have loved in the 80s like the Cocteau Twins sped up and sung by PJ Harvey. The second half of the record continues in this same vein, with the very Joy Division style ‘Somethin’ Aint Right’ being a particular highlight.
Another one of the more interesting songs is ‘Fading Beauty’ where she goes back to the more slow, singing style of her earlier records with the electronic music beating softly in the distance. She’s recently referenced Portishead as being a favourite album and you can hear their influence too on the arrangement.
The album finishes with the hopeful ‘I Want You Here’ and again there’s a U2 feel to the way it begins, like a more desolate ‘All I Want is You’, before Sharon’s singing becomes jagged, desperate almost in the way she begs her love to stay.
The Attachment Theory name was a nod to her recent training as a therapist and you can sense the empathy and honesty that such study has brought to her music. By working with the band she has created a new musical connection, and while this sound is definitely echoing an earlier era, there’s a sense of authenticity to the best songs here which helps make this album still feel like forward progression.
BUY: https://sharonvanetten.bandcamp.com/album/sharon-van-etten-the-attachment-theory
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