Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory by Sharon Van Etten

Revisionist history tells me I’ve been a fan of everything Sharon van Etten has done since she started releasing music back in 2009. The reality is, I completely missed her first two albums (but have since gone back and now love them), and I didn’t really start loving her work until I saw her at SXSW twice in 2012. Since then, her work has been a staple on the Top 31 ( #13 in 2012, #4 in 2014, #5 in 2019, and #6 in 2022) with good reason.

Her latest album, Sharon van Etten & the Attachment Theory, shows her ability to continue to adapt and shift for the better, including a full band who shared in the writing and production of the album with van Etten. With the Attachment Theory (Jorge Balbi on drums, Devra Hoff on bass and backing vocals, Teeny Lieberson on keyboards and backing vocals), van Etten proves she can collaborate with others and still create an unmistakable Sharon van Etten album. You could blend the songs from this album with her last two and you’d have no way to truly tell the difference.

This is great for the band, and great for us: it takes some of the burden of writing off of van Etten, and opens the door to greater longevity as an artist and now band. Her sultry voice is still ever-present, the songs still written from her unique perspective. “Afterlife” (featured above), is a gorgeous song about sticking by someone’s side, co-dependency in its best light. “Southern Life (What It Must Be Like)” evokes 90s-era Sky Cries Mary (psych-rock band from Seattle who rose to prominence in the heart of grunge but without the grunge sound) with its dissonant harmonies and drone-like melody. “Idiot Box” is a rocking classic van Etten tune, pushing against the screen-based lives we lead. Producer Daniel Knowles gets a co-writing credit on “I Can’t Imagine (Why You Feel This Way),” my second favorite song from the album. I can still picture van Etten’s groove on stage when singing this song, Hoff’s driving disco baseline making her sway left and right to the groove.

I recommend checking out their KEXP Performance from May, you’ll get a front-row seat to the band and what they’re capable of. Stripped down, with added piano, van Etten’s voice rings true and makes it impossible to look away.

Few artists have been as consistently good as Sharon van Etten. With the new Attachment Theory behind here, there’s renewed energy and excitement about where they’ll go next. I hope the band sticks around, and they continue to explore the possibilities together with van Etten.