Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory – Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory

When the mainstream was just discovering (and naming) ‘sad girl pop’, there have been women making tragic music for decades now, if too-often in the shadow of their over-exposed male peers. Sharon Van Etten has attained alt-star heights with her emotionalism, and now expands to full-band with The Attachment Theory on their self-titled release.

Unlike the stripped nature of other solo artists, and Van Etten’s earlier career, Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory takes full advantage of her backing group to build and grow. One can feel the full utilization of the full band reach on songs such as “Afterlife”, higher “Idiot Box”, catchier (but still sad) “Indio”, and the big synths of “Somethin’ Ain’t Right”. Only the beautiful “Fading Beauty” shows the old restraint, a nice change-up on the record.

It’s a sad time right now, things falling apart and the centre not holding. But there are those who are building upon that sadness, to embrace us all, like Sharon Van Etten and her Attachment Theory.