Album Review: Sharon Van Etten – I Don’t Want to Let You Down EP

By Jean Marques

Contributing Writer

Singer/songwriters have a reputation for writing almost exclusively about love and heartbreak, and Sharon Van Etten’s debut “Because I Was in Love” is the best example of what the style has to offer.  It is a journey into the darkest depth of the human psyche, where the wounds of a shattered relationship cut deep. Using only guitar and voice, the album is a simple yet visceral experience.

Subsequent albums catalog Van Etten’s journey as she sought to expand her sound, culminating in one of 2014’s most critically acclaimed albums “Are We There”. It was an album that showcased Van Etten’s capabilities as a producer as well as the technical and creative potential of her newly found supporting band.

In her latest EP, Van Etten finds herself pushing further away from her hushed beginnings, and the title track is the clearest indicator of this new path. In a previous album, the line “I Don’t Want to Let You Down” might have been uttered with a sense of apprehension, but in this EP she chants it like a mantra, unafraid to let the power of her voice dominate. She has never sounded more confident and self-assured than on this song.

However, while the track is lyrically and vocally enchanting, the instrumentation feels out of place. The mellow layers of guitars and upbeat drumming give the track a folk-rock sound that does not mesh well with the context of the words, especially the unnecessary guitar solo at the end. It is as cathartic as the any other Sharon Van Etten song, but the mismatched arrangement stops the track from reaching any sort of emotionally climactic peak that older songs like “Serpents” or “Don’t Do It” accomplish.

“Pay My Debts” is an example of what the group as a whole is capable of when there is perfect harmony amongst all the instruments and voices. The ambient guitar sounds that are present throughout the song do an excellent job of setting the mood and building tension without being overburdening. It is easily the most enthralling musical moment in the EP.

The rest of the songs on the EP don’t sound too different from those found in “Are We there”. They are slow paced ballads that put Van Etten’s masterful voice at the forefront. Her talent for crafting well written and deeply personal tracks has always been hallmark of her musical career.

Sharon Van Etten is slowly breaking away from the archetype of the heartbroken folk singer that is often attributed to her music. This EP is a sign that She Van Etten and her band have some very grand things in store for the future.

Overall Rating: 4.1/5