Taking Chances

by Steve

A new Sharon Van Etten track, a taster for her new album Are We There, due for release in late May. Her previous album Tramp is one of my favourite albums of the last few years. Van Etten can clearly write great songs, but can also create a mood. It is a kind of nebulous concept, but her songs have this feel that you just don’t hear elsewhere, sort of smoky, monochrome, but also heartfelt. Rough around the edges without just sounding a bit baggy.

Taking Chances fits that template, but some subtle variations too – an old drum machine here, an early 80s Cure bassline there. Sometimes when an artist gets their sound so right you don’t want them to change, but that is also the route to stagnation. This new song hints at progression, at avoiding sounding stale, without losing what makes these songs special in the first place.

Anyway, another album to look forward to in 2014. The trailer for it is pretty lovely too…