ALBUM REVIEW: Sharon Van Etten - Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory
A swell post-punk turn for the veteran singer.
Sharon Van Etten’s biggest strength has always been her idiosyncratic voice. Amidst a sea of indie rock vocalists, Van Etten’s deep and powerful drawl stands tall, especially when it fills cavernous instrumentals like those on “Your Love Is Killing Me”. At this point she’s run the gamut of traditional indie rock, so she’s branched out in recent years to synth-ier directions. Her latest adds a strain of post-punk to her sound, and the results are some of the most engaging of her whole career.
Though she’s no stranger to the synthesizer, the way her latest record utilizes them gives these songs a unique life. It’s impossible not to think of acts like Joy Division when hearing opener “Live Forever” with its droning synths and moody bass guitar. Sharon further emulates the late Ian Curtis with her lyrics about eternal life and the futility of the idea amid the current geopolitical landscape. These type of emotions dominate the record, and the dire nature of Sharon’s words are accentuated by the hypnotic nature of these instrumentals.
Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory is covered by an overhang of doom and gloom, but she and her bandmates make sure the sun shines through the clouds when necessary. “Afterlife” begs her lover to find her in the great beyond through a flurry of synths that give the song plenty of life, while the humble beginnings of “Somethin’ Ain’t Right” give way to a phenomenal climax of spinning synths and electric guitars. The slower melodies gestate well, but the band knows when to give a song some kick too. “I Can’t Imagine (Why You Feel This Way)” stands out with its lively rhythm, melding these post-punk stylings with her past work like “Mistakes”. Not every moment of spirit works this well, like the preceding “Indio”, but they do well to give the track list some variety.
Not many artists add a band to their name on their seventh record, but Sharon Van Etten isn’t most artists. She gives her supporting cast more spotlight and they’ve rewarded her with some arresting music to perform over. Boiled down, “Idiot Box” might be the best balance of the post-punk and Van Etten’s past work. As she sings about cellphone addiction and its consequences, the coalescing synths, guitars and percussion make a rhythm as strong as she’s ever featured. Sharon’s still at the top of her game this far into her career, refusing to let the malaise of 2025 slow her down. We’re all better off for it.
Verdict: 8.3/10
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