Sharon Van Etten

Sharon Van Etten’s Are We There turns tenthis year and reasserts itself as a one of hermost powerful and timeless collections. Itis clear from the opening chords that weare witnessing a new awareness, a sign ofVan Etten in full stride, writing, producing,and performing from a place that seemsalmost mythical, were it not so touchableand real. Always direct, and never shyingaway even from the most personallypainful narratives, many of the songs dealwith seemingly impossible decisions,anticipation, and then resolution. Amidstall that brutal honesty, Van Etten findsmoments of levity, as she always does:“Every Time the Sun Comes Up”, nowpressed to 7” for the first time, started outas a lark but lifts the album at its close,completes the world she’s let us into, andresets us gently for whatever might follow.It has, since then, become an indeliblestaple of Van Etten’s live shows. This new7” edition features that live renditiongetting the studio recording treatmentfans have clamored for since itmaterialized. And the b-side, a liverecording from the iconic Sydney OperaHouse, proves the song’s shapeshifting,indelible magic.