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Product Description
Review
In 2010 Sharon Van Etten closed her second album with a beautiful drone of a song entitled Love More. Reflecting on a relationship in both tender and rueful terms, it is a striking, haunting thing that wound up the subject of a cover version by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner of The National. Recorded in the garage studio of the latter, Tramp continues the trajectory that got underway with her debut LP Because I Was in Love in 2009, broadening her sound and exhibiting greater confidence while markedly ramping up the volume.
The opening Warsaw clatters out of the speakers, jagged electric guitars and drums courtesy of The Walkmen’s Matt Barrick forming the backdrop upon which Van Etten’s wounded vocals roam, setting the template for a fragmentary record that revels in a dark, sometimes sinister aesthetic. That she was essentially without a home over its recording process is evident over its 12 songs: they blur into each other at first, hallucinatory and shapeless, further listening revealing moments of standalone fury and beauty of the kind that has always been present in her work.
The oppressive nature of its initial salvo – Serpents, in particular, is seething, recriminatory, vicious – eventually gives way to the serene lilt of ukulele-led single Leonard, the first real glimpse of light on the record. Van Etten is nevertheless characteristically frank as she sketches her own culpability in the demise of a relationship, and storm clouds quickly re-gather in the shape of the subsequent In Line, all moody, swelling backing vocals and defiantly slow pace.
Yet over its back-end Tramp begins to open up with greater frequency – a good look for Van Etten. A fleet of guests including Beirut’s Zach Condon, Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner and Julianna Barwick all make appearances, while on the lovely Ask she offers the lyric "Let’s find something that can last / Like cigarette ash the world is collapsing around me / Let’s try to do the best we can." On an album fraught with insecurity and angst, moments like these feel like hard-won triumphs that were more than worth fighting for.
--James Skinner
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Product Description
STANDARD EDITION : Bold 2012 album! Ethereal torch songs 'n' venomous folk from the Brooklyn sorceress who's collaborated with Antlers and Bon Iver. Produced by Aaron Dessner from The National! Cameos by members of Beirut ; The Walkmen and Wye Oak.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By Syriat
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Audio CD
Sharon Van Etten's third album is a star studded affair. It contains Zach Condon (Beirut) and Aaron Dressner (The National) amongst others. In fact Dressner produces this. Her vocal style is reminiscent of Tanya Donnely at times but its a mainly acoustic and intimate album that shows real promise.
Van Etten's drawling style is given rousing accompaniments here with tracks that build through guitars and a mixture of strings, brass and piano. This feels like it contains a lot of heart. Listen to Ask where she ends by singing 'It hurts too much to laugh about it' to finish the slow build and you know that the effort isn't just in the tunes here. This is a rock album but don't expect large riffs all the time. Its a quieter affair most of the time actually and whilst the rocky Serpents really works it sounds very familiar but new at the same time. There is an attraction to the whole piece that pulls you back in and as a whole it will stay on the play list for some time.
Thoughtfully put together this will make Van Etten a more familiar name than just to her famous friends.
Van Etten's drawling style is given rousing accompaniments here with tracks that build through guitars and a mixture of strings, brass and piano. This feels like it contains a lot of heart. Listen to Ask where she ends by singing 'It hurts too much to laugh about it' to finish the slow build and you know that the effort isn't just in the tunes here. This is a rock album but don't expect large riffs all the time. Its a quieter affair most of the time actually and whilst the rocky Serpents really works it sounds very familiar but new at the same time. There is an attraction to the whole piece that pulls you back in and as a whole it will stay on the play list for some time.
Thoughtfully put together this will make Van Etten a more familiar name than just to her famous friends.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By bemuse
Format:Audio CD
In a word, sublime. It grows with every listen, each track beautifully simple and complex at the same time, with melodies that all sound like ageless classics.
By Ab Wondergem
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
"At a first hearing the songs don't seem to match up to the last album.
Then after listening to them a few times more a few songs stay in your mind and you start to really like them.
Then you find out this album is just as good as the last one or even better."
This was a review not about SvE but about the then latest Steely Dan album many years ago.
Although her music is not the same, these words kept coming to my mind.
Then after listening to them a few times more a few songs stay in your mind and you start to really like them.
Then you find out this album is just as good as the last one or even better."
This was a review not about SvE but about the then latest Steely Dan album many years ago.
Although her music is not the same, these words kept coming to my mind.
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4.4 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Top Draw
Came across Give Out quite by chance and though it was one of the best songs I heard last year.
The album is excellent and would highly recommend
The album is excellent and would highly recommend
Published 2 months ago by Stevo
5.0 out of 5 stars
SUBLIME AND EMOTIVE ALBUM
i came across this in the end of year lists and bought it after comparing reviews , , , , , and im so glad i did,so very happy,worth all the misses,to hit something like this. Read more
Published 4 months ago by trichromer
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another unexpected gem
Another on-spec purchase after seeing her perform on Jools Holland's UK show. Intospective lyrics - fine with me. Good musicianship - equally fine by me. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Glyn
5.0 out of 5 stars
Magical Chords
Bought the CD on the back of Serpents and although it's not representative of the album I'm so glad I did. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Andycott22
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb
First heard her on Jules Holland. Really liked her so bought the album. There are some great tracks, and it gets better with every play. Read more
Published 5 months ago by RICHIE
3.0 out of 5 stars
Almost ok
1 x great song, 2 x good songs , rest are below average/boring even.
She has some real potential I think , but is to self indulgent for my liking.
She has some real potential I think , but is to self indulgent for my liking.
Published 6 months ago by J. C. Mayes
4.0 out of 5 stars
Doesn't Get Old
Got this bad boy on vinyl, and (at the risk of sounding cliche) it doesn't disappoint.
I think I listened to the album solidly for a couple of weeks, and after a small break,... Read more
I think I listened to the album solidly for a couple of weeks, and after a small break,... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Shannon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lucky me
Yes lucky me. Read a review of Tramp. Bought the album. Played it. Loved it. Bought Epic. Played it. Loved it. Booked tickets. Lucky me.
Published 13 months ago by D. M. Bell
2.0 out of 5 stars
Tramp
Heard the track Leonard, on Radio 6 with Steve. The hairs in my ears tingled. Purchased the cd. Bad, bad, bad. It just drones on and on. One long drone. Read more
Published 14 months ago by cat
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Excellent.
Sharon van Etten has been compared to many other recent female singer-songers - Cat Power, Laura Marling, etc. - but I won't have a word of it. Read more
Published 15 months ago by David Fuller
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