Review: Sharon Van Etten — “Tramp”

Artist: Sharon Van Etten

Album: Tramp

Label: Jagjaguwar

In her little-heard debut “Because I Was In Love,” Sharon Van Etten introduced herself at her most vulnerable. She cooed over acoustic guitar and lamented, “One day, I’ll be a better writer.” In her sophomore offering, “Epic,” she returned with her teeth clenched and solidified her fiery but pained folk sound.

“Tramp,” Van Etten’s third full-length and first for record label Jagjaguwar, continues this trajectory with forays into rock and a well-deserved expansion in scope.

“Tramp” was produced by the National’s Aaron Dessner and features a rotating cast of indie rockers from Van Etten’s wheelhouse, which includes Julianna Barwick, Zach Condon (Beirut), Jenn Wasner (Wye Oak) and Matt Barrick (The Walkmen). This collaboration has done wonders for Van Etten’s already sharp songwriting, expanding her sound to include synthesizers, organs and electric guitars that she only hinted at in “Epic”.

Van Etten is not only more confident, she’s angry. Her voice isstrong above the jagged guitars in “Warsaw”, and she seems comfortable shredding in lead single “Serpents”. Barrick’s propulsive drumming rouses Van Etten into a fury, and the rougher instrumentation reveals a new dimension to Van Etten’s music: scorn.

But “Serpents”’ near-anthemic chorus doesn’t get lodged in your head quite like her more pained moments do. The chorus to the highlight of the album, “Give Out” — “You’re the reason why I’ll move to the city / or why I’ll need to leave” — is sweeping, wounded and frank in a way that only Van Etten can pull off.

Van Etten’s lyrics are just as confession-filled as they’ve been since the beginning, but they’re also just as raw, and “Tramp” doesn’t become repetitive. Her angst has also grown more nuanced. Mid-album track “We Are Fine” seems, at first, like an uncharacteristic glimmer of joy: “Everything is real/Nothing left to steal/’Cause we’re all right/I’m all right” she sings. But by the end of the song, it seems that Van Etten is only trying to convince herself, and the clouds roll back in.

“Tramp”’s second half runs together more than the first, but standout tracks eventually reveal themselves. “I’m Wrong” begins with simple guitars and anxious isolation. It swells and blossoms through its four minutes into a desperate cry for reassurance, awash in bells and distorted guitar drone. Hurt and beautiful, it represents Van Etten at the top of her game.

Not all of the album’s quieter moments are as arresting. “In Line” is a little too echoey and shapeless, and the closing track “Joke or a Lie” evaporates instead of giving “Tramp” the strong ending it deserves.

With “Tramp,” Sharon Van Etten has delivered the year’s first “best of” contender. It’s a full-bodied work that adds depth and confidence to Van Etten’s sound. She’s no longer bruised with eyes downcast. Van Etten is ready to fight back and all the better for it.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 4