Sharon Van Etten isn’t just a storyteller—she’s a spellcaster, pulling you into a world where every note drips with raw emotion. Her voice has always felt like a secret whispered in the dark, a confession only she could turn into melody. Whether she’s lamenting lost love or navigating inner turmoil, her music has been a profoundly personal voyage, one that’s felt like reading the pages of her diary. But this time? She’s stepping into the light and bringing a whole new energy with her. Sharon Van Etten and the Attachment Theory is her reinvention.
This isn’t just Sharon Van Etten doing her solo thing—it’s a collective force, a band firing on all cylinders, bringing a high-voltage energy that’s impossible to ignore. This is Van Etten at her most dancefloor-ready incarnation. While she’s long been a staple of the indie-rock world, she proves here that she knows how to craft songs for late nights, neon lights, and bodies grooving slowly on the dance floor. She doesn’t stray too far into the dance-pop world, but she comes close. When Gloria Estefan sang ‘the rhythm is gonna get you,’ she might as well have been looking straight at Van Etten and saying, ‘Any day now, Sharon.’ It turns out the rhythm was just stuck in traffic. But it has arrived.
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This album is a new world where pulsing basslines, hypnotic grooves, and an undeniable rhythm take center stage. Forget the stripped-down singer-songwriter stylings of epic or Tramp. This record leans into a seductive, synth-heavy, late-’80s-meets-early-’90s indie sound—think the darker corners of new wave, the cooler side of college radio, with a touch of that moody, danceable magic that once ruled underground clubs.
And the most thrilling part? Van Etten steps out of her comfort zone in a way that feels effortlessly sexy. These aren’t dance-floor-to-bedroom bangers, but the bedroom feels like the ultimate destination. Her voice, usually the emotional epicenter of her work, melts into the fabric of these tracks, letting the bass and beats do the heavy lifting. It’s all about movement—grooves that lock you in and don’t let go. Sure, tracks like Live Forever and I Want You Here bring that sweeping, anthemic energy she’s known for, but the real stars of this record are the ones that radiate pure, unfiltered rhythm.
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Take Trouble, for example—the album’s fourth track and an absolute knockout. The bassline is so smooth and hypnotic that Earth, Wind, and Fire would’ve built an entire groove around it. From then on, the album hits a relentless stride, each song layering on the intensity until you’re completely swept away in its rhythm. Indio starts with a Strokes-esque strut before shapeshifting into a full-fledged Stereolab dream. Then come the real heat-seekers—I Can’t Imagine (While You Feel This Way) and Something Ain’t Right, two undeniable dancefloor weapons that would’ve sounded right at home at Danceteria in its prime. And just when you think you’ve caught your breath, Southern Life (What It Must Be Like) crashes in like a tidal wave—an arena-sized epic with a sound so massive, so all-encompassing, that it feels like a sonic tidal wave crashing over you. The sheer scale and intensity demand to be felt, not just heard.
The bottom line is that this album is pure fire. It’s fun, bold, and packed with variety and heart. And I have to give a shout-out to bassist Devra Hoff, whose low-end wizardry holds this whole project together. Her basslines don’t just support the songs—they drive them, giving the album its pulse, power, and undeniable sex appeal.
But this record isn’t just for indie or dance music fans—it’s for everyone. There are more than a few radio-ready, playlist-dominating, mood-setting gems here. Call it new wave, call it indie dance, call it whatever you want. One thing’s for sure: this record is undeniable.
