Sharon Van Etten - Epic
- Written by Holly Arrowsmith
To Muso’s Guide, Sharon Van Etten is a name synonymous with putting the trauma that comes with heartbreak into songs that ache with feeling. Whilst her debut, Because I Was In Love, explores this subject in a sparse, minimalist manner, Epic suits its name- it’s an altogether more grandiose affair that leaves you brooding for hours after the initial listen. It’s not in any shape or form easy to pin down, but that just makes it even more beguiling.
Van Etten never totally rubbishes romantic suffering on the album, although it’s clear that she’s been through the mill - the press release says that she ‘had some bad experiences in relationships’ somewhat needlessly. A lot of the tracks are ambiguous, while others are all about being totally to the point, but the honesty that’s present throughout is refreshing and heart-rending. It often feels as if it’s not really her going through how badly she’s been treated and how ruined she is inside; more her thinking in a measured way about how things went wrong and how she can overcome the pain.
‘A Crime’ is an absolute killer of a song for anyone who’s ever had a messy one-sided breakup. Alarmingly honest and straightforward, backed by a simple acoustic guitar arrangement, her voice echoes around the subject matter as if her life depends on it. It doesn’t really feel right to call it ‘pretty’, but at the same time, it’s all weirdly beautiful despite closing herself off emotionally with the line ‘never let myself love like that again’.
Sylistically, there’s loads to take in; from the country-tinged ballad ‘Save Yourself’ to the echoing dark euphoria of ‘Don’t Do It’, where she seems to be pleading with a lover despite knowing she can’t change his mind. However, if there’s a moment on the album when Van Etten really shines, it has to be on seventh and final song ‘Love More’. It centres around a simple, repetitive chord pattern, with a harmonium providing the base for the track. Featuring backing vocals from Meg Baird from Espers, singer-songwriter Cat Martino and Jessica Larrabee of She Keeps Bees, you’d be hard-pushed not to get a lump in your throat as the quartet paint a beautiful picture of romantic grief and world-weary experience. It’s rather unclear as to whether she’s regretful, or optimistic for the future, as lyrics like ‘You chained me like a dog in our room… I thought that we were fine’ would suggest that she’s emotionally broken, yet the gentle beauty and swell of the harmonium, teamed with the repeated ‘It made, me love, it made me love more’ chorus hints at a cautious optimism.
In all, Epic is basically gorgeous. Full of raw human emotion and an altogether warmer sounding affair than 2009’s ‘Because I Was In Love’, it’s a pleasure to listen to, even though Van Etten’s honesty can be upsetting and uncomfortable at times. A break-up album in the truest sense of the word - if you’ve just split up with someone, it’ll have you weeping into your pillow.