For her newest release, Sharon Van Etten has shifted gears, moving from a solo artist to a band leader with the first self-titled album as Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory. Her musical landscape has also evolved, gone are the singer songwriter aspects and in their place are dreamy, hazy, electro-based outings that yearn, bump, weep and rage.
This endeavor evolved from Van Etten’s first-ever vocalized desire to “jam” with a band, and those early moments serendipitously led to the group writing two of the best songs presented here. “I Can’t Imagine” is beat-laced dance rock with a bass lead that bounces wonderfully, while “Southern Life (What It Must Be Like)” is heavy with deep drums, Charley Damski on Bass Synth, and Van Etten swearing at lies, while trying to be a good mother.
Once things started successfully forming, the group, Sharon Van Etten (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Jorge Balbi (Drums, Machines), Devra Hoff (Bass, Vocals), Teeny Lieberson (Synth, Piano, Guitar, Vocals) headed to London. Van Etten was drawn to work with producer Marta Salogni (Bjork, Bon Iver) for her love of synths and electronics, which are everywhere on the album. The Attachment Theory went to work in The Church, the former studio of the Eurythmics, whose influence seeps into everything.
Themes emerge and flow throughout as musically, the tone floats on repetitive synth cycling while lyrically, Van Etten is in full-on questioning mode, asking about life, death, loneliness, compassion, misdirection, and more.
The feeling of searching and transition is key throughout the record as the electro-pulsing and breathy vocals dance around each other on opener “Live Forever” before drums enter mid-song and drive it to a climactic finish as the singing goes over the top, dramatically soaring. Van Etten’s vocals drift from spoken word plainness to Broadway heights, as seeking the right sound vibe also applies to her singing.
Overall, this feels like a first record as the band grows and moves. “Afterlife” is electro beat fueled, theatrical pop music with fear of death lyrics laced throughout, “Idiot Box” is New Order synth-pop but never fully explodes, “Indio” is a razor thing rocker that feels a touch out of place. At the same time “Somethin’ Ain’t Right” uses perfect supporting vocals and a light gothy-groove expertly.
The offering ends with its two most prolonged, most artistic efforts; the spoken word “Fading Beauty” is perfectly titled, and the more throbbing “I Want You Here” unfortunately never really connects. However, Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory allows Van Etten a creative spark to broaden their musical horizons, work in a true group setting, and continue to evolve as an artist.