Sharon Van Etten's Remind Me Tomorrow is in Hi-Res 24-Bit on Qobuz! Sharon Van Etten
Although she was born and raised in suburban New Jersey, Sharon Van
Etten's folk music evokes the open landscapes of a more expansive
America. A dedicated choir student during her childhood, she
studied clarinet, violin, and piano before moving on to guitar. She
began writing songs as a high-school student and sang in a choir
group, the Madrigals. She credits her choral experiences as
indispensable in learning to musically notate, as well as to sing
harmonies. Upon graduation, Van Etten moved to Murfreesboro,
Tennessee to attend Middle Tennessee State University. There she
studied recording until she dropped out a year later. She remained
in the city for over four years, working at Red Rose, a combination
coffee house, record shop, and music venue. She wrote songs during
the entire period, but never performed. After a personal crisis,
she briefly moved back home to New Jersey, where she worked as a
sommelier in a wine and dining establishment. After finally making
a move to Brooklyn, she began to play in small public spaces, and
to record her songs on individually hand-painted CD-Rs. She sold
them at shows and via her website. At one show, she handed one to
Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio. (She had known his brother in high
school.) After hearing it, he enthusiastically encouraged her to
pursue a musical career. Van Etten continued to perform, but was
determined to learn about the business of music. To that end, she
secured an internship with Ba Da Bing Records through a college
friend. (She would later earn a role as a full-time publicist.)
While working there, she continued to write, play publicly, and
record privately. Van Etten's first nationally released album was
2009's sparsely orchestrated Because I Was in Love, recorded for
Language of Stone, a label manufactured and distributed by
Chicago-based Drag City. Reviews were almost universally positive
and helped secure her opening slots on other artists' tours, as
well as headline her first shows outside of the East Coast. This
effort was followed by the lush, more band-oriented Epic in 2010,
which was greeted by more praise. Signed to Jagjaguwar late in
2010, Van Etten began opening for the National on tour and working
with the band's Aaron Dessner as a producer in the studio. Their
collaboration resulted in her third album, Tramp, issued in early
2012. In support of the album, she toured the United States as a
headliner and also played clubs and festivals in Europe. In 2013,
she sang on the National's Trouble Will Find Me. Van Etten returned
to the studio to record her fourth album, and co-produced it with
Stewart Lerman. Are We There was released in May of 2014 to some of
the highest critical acclaim of any album that year. She followed
it in 2015 with the five-track EP I Don't Want to Let You Down. In
2016 Van Etten took on the role of Rachel in Brit Marling and Zal
Batmanglij's surreal Netflix sci-fi/drama series The OA, and the
following year she contributed a cover of Skeeter Davis' "The End
of the World" to the soundtrack for Amazon's popular dystopian
series The Man in the High Castle. ~ Andrew Leahey & Thom Jurek Similar artists
Albums
24
albums sorted by Most acclaimed
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Alternative & Indie - Released January 18, 2019 | Jagjaguwar
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Pitchfork: Best New Music
Sharon Van Etten waited five years before releasing a follow up to Are We There, her 2014 album on which she brilliantly juggled between the legacies of Cat Power, Nick Cave, John Cale, Joan As Police Woman, St Vincent, Feist and Fiona Apple. It’s a record on which she was, above all, herself. She confirms this with Remind Me Tomorrow which was conceived when her schedule was overflowing between a role in the series The OA, the writing of the soundtrack for Katherine Dieckmann’s film Strange Weather, the music for comedian Tig Notaro’s show, preparing for a psychology degree, an appearance in the series Twin Peaks and the birth of her first child!
Energy is at the heart of this 2019 vintage record on which John Congleton handled the the arrangements. The producer is without a doubt at the forefront of the more rhythmic sequences rather than the more accustomed ones, such as the single Comeback Kid. With less minimalist reflections and more assertive affirmations, Sharon Van Etten hasn’t lost her uniqueness along the way. And what she has added here doesn’t alter the original taste too much. Congleton knew how to find the perfect sound texture to make the singer’s gothic folk universe all the more powerful and charming. With this album one of the most talented artists of her generation continues to grow. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz
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Alternative & Indie - Released February 7, 2012 | Jagjaguwar
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When Sharon Van Etten issued the ironically titled seven-song Epic in 2009, it stood in stark contrast to her 2007 debut, Because I Was in Love. On the latter record, she employed a full-on rock band, her songwriting gained a more defined precision, and her singing voice -- even at its most vulnerable -- seemed to speak with a confidence that didn't seem to need any frame of reference other than its own. Tramp is titled for the period of post-relationship uncertainty and the period of homelessness Van Etten experienced during its 14-month recording process. Produced by the National's Aaron Dessner, who puts the songwriter's fine singing voice front and center, it features guest appearances by Zach Condon, Julianna Barwick, and more. "Warsaw," with its jagged electric guitars, bass, halting keyboards, and primitive, tom-tom heavy drums, is a shambling illustration of what's to be found here. Van Etten's protagonist is still vulnerable, but she wills herself toward a horizon past it. Likewise, the set's first single "Serpents," with its rumbling guitars and cracking snares, frankly discusses being physically and emotionally abused, but it comes from the other side, her protagonist is out of the situation, refusing to be a victim. Jenn Wassner's backing vocals in every line transform this into an anthem of survival. Not everything here falls down the rock & roll rabbit hole, however. Acoustically driven ballads such as "Kevin's," "All I Can," and "Leonard" highlight her subject's character defects and vulnerabilities as well as those of her significant other's. Van Etten's lyrics accuse as much as they confess and empathize. More often than not, her subject is the one who leaves, rather than the one left; the reasons are myriad: betrayal, co-dependency, a willingness toward an emotional freedom that allows love itself to dictate what it expects. There is great beauty on Tramp, especially in its last third; from the jaunty, acoustic stroll of "We Are Fine" to the multi-textured, nearly psych-pop of "I'm Wrong," to the airy, drifting closer "Joke or a Lie." For all this, Van Etten skirts the edges of giving us a great album without actually delivering one. Perhaps it's the exhaustive, confessional nature of its songs, its reliance on three basic melodic ideas, or even its length. Whatever the reason(s), Tramp doesn't quite fulfill its considerable promise. But this isn't a criticism; Van Etten is still a young, developing songwriter who gets more sophisticated with each album. As such, Tramp offers plenty for listeners to enjoy as she goes. ~ Thom Jurek
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Alternative & Indie - Released May 27, 2014 | Jagjaguwar
Brooklyn singer/songwriter Sharon Van Etten's transfixing voice and often heart-wrenching songs come through in an odd mixture of pain and flourishing inspiration on the best moments of her fourth album, Are We There. The album, produced by Van Etten herself with some help from New York-based producer Stewart Lerman (Elvis Costello, Sophie B. Hawkins), follows her 2012 outing Tramp and trades up on some of the crushed indie templates of that album for new stylistic territory. From her first hushed demo-like recordings, Van Etten's songs have more often than not found their lyrical core stemming from painful relationships and hard times, culminating in Tramp's tales of homelessness, uncertainty, and desperation. Are We There's 11 selections also mine her harrowed heart for inspiration, be it the slow-burning portrait of a toxic love/hate romance in "Your Love Is Killing Me" or the obsessed fixation on an absent lover in "Break Me." While there's still a fair amount of heartbreak and pain in the subject matter of the songs, the folky strums and indie rock clatter of Tramp and earlier records have been expanded upon with more inventive musical approaches, leaving the album feeling much brighter, even in its darkest moments. "Taking Chances" is guided by an unexpectedly slinking bassline and minimal drum machine clicks, Van Etten's voice melting like honey over their laid-back foundations before introducing rawkus guitars on the chorus. Similar instrumentation shows up on "Our Love," a steady drum machine and lonely organ drone setting the stage for the brilliantly arranged multi-tracked harmonies and an indie take on the sophisticated tones of '80s quiet storm R&B. Even when tending toward more familiar rock sounds, the arrangements on Are We There are more considered, colorful, and ornate than ever before. Where previous albums felt a little too anchored to Van Etten's samey guitar changes, here tracks like "Tarifa" explode with sure-footed horn sections, nostalgic Hammond organ, and spirals of anthemic vocal harmonies. Quieter songs like "I Know" and "I Love You But I'm Lost" are driven by piano, leaving lots of space for the vocals to soar, while the cinematic textures and haunted guitar twang of "You Know Me Well" could almost draw comparisons to Lana Del Rey in her more Twin Peaks moments. The more inventive arrangements and advances in songwriting are an undeniable step forward for Van Etten. While still immersed in songs of emotional ravagement and betrayal, the confidence of her performances and spectrum of sounds represented here suggest a complete graduation from troubled, uncertain roots into a place where she can deliver her songs with a powerful, borderless command. ~ Fred Thomas
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Alternative & Indie - Released November 17, 2017 | language of stone - sve productions
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Alternative & Indie - Released October 2, 2018 | Jagjaguwar
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Alternative & Indie - Released November 13, 2012 | Jagjaguwar
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Alternative & Indie - Released January 9, 2019 | Jagjaguwar
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Alternative & Indie - Released June 9, 2015 | Jagjaguwar
Like an unreleased side C of the musically mature, thematically searching Are We There, Sharon Van Etten enacts the same tone with repeat co-producer Stewart Lerman, and is lyrically still struggling, coping, and navigating trying relationships on I Don't Want to Let You Down. Some of those relationship problems were caused, she has admitted, by being absent in the pursuit of her music career, a dilemma of self-awareness that provides fodder for much of the five-track EP. In "I Always Fall Apart," accompanied only by wistful piano and strings, she tenderly repeats "It's not my fault/It's just my flaw/It's who I am." The remaining tracks all feature a full band, including rotating guest appearances by her vocal-harmony shadow aka multi-instrumentalist Heather Woods Broderick, guitarist Adam Granduciel and bassist Dave Hartley of the War on Drugs, bassist Brad Cook of Megafaun, and drummer Darren Jessee of Ben Folds Five, among others, all directing the spotlight toward Van Etten's rock-tender vocals. The self-titled opener has the quickest tempo, most pronounced guitars, and catchiest chorus, but still wails with yearning. The album closes with a seductively imperfect live performance of "Tell Me," an impactful, spaciously arranged rock lament with a far-reaching melody ("I believed you when you shut your eyes and dreamed a dream without me"). Comparisons to Brandi Carlile will continue as Van Etten pushes her vocals here with mourning yodels and sturdy grit over her ever poignant tone. Both strong and vulnerable, I Don't Want to Let You Down is a concise and angst-packed set delivered with emphasis in all the right places. ~ Marcy Donelson
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Alternative & Indie - Released September 21, 2010 | Ba Da Bing!
Boasting a mere seven songs, Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Sharon Van Etten's sophomore effort hardly lives up to the lofty promise of its name, but where Epic fails to deliver in size, it more than makes up for in sound. Van Etten possesses one of those rare voices that can make even the weakest material soar, so the decision to open the album with the perfectly serviceable, yet ultimately forgettable, solo heartbreak rant “A Crime” makes sense, as what follows is simply electrifying. Backed by a full traditional rock band and bolstered by weepy lap steels and harmoniums, Van Etten's full serpentine croon, which falls somewhere between Kristin Hersh, Neko Case, and Brandi Carlile, addresses the usual subjects of failure and longing, but there’s a strange, dark confidence behind all of the self-examination that makes even the most clichéd confessional singer/songwriter utterance feel dangerous. Of the seven tracks, “Peace Signs” with its sinewy verses and pulsing kick drum that threatens to cut loose into a full-on highway jam at any minute (but doesn’t), the languid, reverb-heavy country-rock sleeper “Save Yourself,” and the Jeff Buckley-esque closer, “Love More,” provide the most immediate rewards, but the remaining four cuts (even “A Crime”) are just as hypnotizing once the buzz kicks in. ~ James Christopher Monger
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Alternative & Indie - Released May 26, 2009 | Language Of Stone
Intimacy reigns supreme on Sharon Van Etten’s debut, which finds the folksinger crooning her melodies over beds of acoustic guitar, keyboard, and overdubbed harmonies. Her lyrics are the stuff of heartbreak and uncertainty -- “I wish I knew what to do with you” she laments during the first track, and later refers to herself as a lover’s “consolation prize” -- but her performances are confident, both simple in their delivery and subtle in their emotional punch. Because I Was in Love isn’t a bare-boned folk album; rather, it’s the sort of record that unfolds its layers with repeated listens, and the arrangements are often gorgeously lush without threatening to overpower Van Etten’s alto. ~ Andrew Leahey
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Film Soundtracks - Released March 3, 2017 | 30th Century Records - Columbia
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Alternative & Indie - Released November 27, 2018 | Jagjaguwar
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Alternative & Indie - Released April 30, 2014 | Jagjaguwar
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Alternative & Indie - Released April 20, 2013 | Jagjaguwar
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Alternative & Indie - Released November 29, 2011 | Jagjaguwar
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Alternative & Indie - Released July 17, 2015 | Jagjaguwar
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Pop - Released October 3, 2017 | language of stone - sve productions
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Pop/Rock - Released November 15, 2010 | Polyvinyl Records
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Alternative & Indie - Released September 29, 2014 | Jagjaguwar
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Alternative & Indie - Released August 23, 2016 | Jagjaguwar
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Sharon Van Etten in the magazine
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Vintage Energy
Sharon Van Etten's Remind Me Tomorrow is in Hi-Res 24-Bit on Qobuz!