Sharon Van Etten

Epic

(Ba Da Bing)

Record Review by Adam McKibbin

The ceiling for Sharon Van Etten is incredibly high.  In the time between her debut, last year’s emotionally fraught Because I Was in Love, and the new Epic, she’s attracted an avalanche of blogosphere buzz.  During the interminable wait (ha) between albums, Van Etten tempted fans with odds-and-ends:  a stripped-down collaboration with Marie-Claire Balabanian here, a devastating piano ballad for an obscure film soundtrack there.  The songs seem to be bursting out of her – although, granted, the seven-song Epic has a punk runtime of 32 minutes.  Few singer/songwriters are producing material with such emotional intensity and honesty; we’re talking about the Bon Iver league and the early Cat Power league.  We’re talking about the “wouldn’t be surprised to see her singing a ballad at the Oscars someday a la Glen Hansard” league.  Again:  high ceiling.

Epic starts off with Van Etten and her acoustic guitar, relationship angst turned up to 11 right off the bat:  “To say the things I want to say to you would be a crime / To admit I’m still in love with you after all this time,” she sings, in what may be disturbing news for someone who’s followed her through the tumultuous Because I Was in Love.  She kicks into full-blooded band mode with the propulsive “Peace Sign,” where we really begin to hear the production flourishes that move the second album forward from its predecessor.  She’s backed by a trio of great vocalists, including Meg Baird of the Red Alert-endorsed folk group Espers, and producer Brian McTear unobtrusively but deftly adds another highlight to his discography.  Epic is considerably cleaner and crisper than the debut, but doesn’t sacrifice so much of the intimacy that it’s a detriment.

Van Etten has her roots firmly planted in the folk tradition, but her ambitions clearly transcend genre, and while Because I Was in Love was a bedroom album that sounded like private communication between artist and herself/her subject/her audience, Epic digs into folk-rock and country-rock (“Save Yourself”) territory that sounds ready for the big stages.  The ambition bodes well for her career, obviously, but actually causes a rare misstep on Epic, as the atmospheric and droning “Dsharpg” is awkwardly situated in the center of the album – not a bad song on its own merits, but a bit overbaked, and a momentum disruption for the seven of us who still like to listen to albums straight through.

Even with a underlying rhythm that reminds me a little of a tranquilized Wesley Willis – don’t worry, I’m probably the only one – “One Day” is a clear standout, thanks to flawless melodies and a simple but perfect hook (see, kids, this songwriting thing isn’t so hard).  It’s followed with another, the slowly unfurling “Love More,” a wounded but triumphant gem that served as the first single.  Here, Van Etten more successfully – which is to say very successfully – deploys the drone.  A funereal atmosphere swells up from the left channel while she starts almost alone on the right; so, if you wanted a preview of what a Van Etten a cappella performance would sound like, isolate your right headphone/speaker (spoiler alert: it’d be pretty great).