Album Review: Sharon Van Etten - Tramp

I first saw Sharon Van Etten in May of last year at Brudenell Social Club in Leeds (pictures above) and was really blown away by the raw sincerity and emotion that she put into her songs. Wanting to know if any of this translated into the recorded version of the album she was touring, I got her album from the merch stall at the back and waited to see if she'd come to the stall and sign it, sadly to no avail. However on the upside her album did very much mirror what I'd heard live, and I always feel the true test of how good an album is, is how well it is translated or changed for the road. This album also topped my albums of 2012 and this review should just about highlight why.



This is Sharon's third album and is far more accomplished and assured than either 'Because I was in Love' or 'Epic' and most people would agree its a step forward. This album is also heavy on collaborations  first and foremost is Aaron Dessner from The National who features on the album and also produced it at his garage studio, giving the album a semi-low-fi feel that suits it far more than any glossy over-production ever could. Other features include Beirut's Zach Condon, Wye Oak's Jenn Wasner and the drummer form The Walkmen. Far from giving the album a disjointed feel, all the collaborations not only add something different to every song and almost give the songs some assurance, a bit like friends helping Sharon through the process.

The album starts with three relatively rocky songs by this album's standards, Warsaw, Serpents and Give Out. All three are very solid songs, 'Serpents' providing a good lead single while 'Give Out' is one of my personal favourites from the album, however afterwards the album looses this assurity. It meanders, drifts and looses the structure and convictions of the earlier songs, but this is what makes the album great, the lack of the conviction and rigid structure, reliance on riffs or big choruses show how genuine some of the songs are. On the subject of how genuine the songs are, Sharon seems to tread the thin line between bluntness and artistic licence in her songs very well, songs such as  'Leonard' 'I'm Wrong' and 'Joke Or Lie' are obviously very dear to her, and it shows in the lyrics. The song 'We Are Fine' is particularly strong as it talks about a panic attack that she had, someone who can put so much of her soul into an album and then call it 'Tramp' is someone with guts, and someone to be respected. Each song on this album paints the picture of a destructive relationship, all the subtleties of the emotions perfectly documented, a whole album dedicated to one break up really shows the power of human emotions, and makes the subject matter unable to be dismissed as trivial in any way.

Musically, the album is a different story. It can be sparse at times, almost in danger of staying into blandness  but in my opinion, being just on the right side. This almost hollow feeling to some songs doesn't ruin it, the vocals and lyrics are the focal point and rightly so and more than carry the album. This album isn't perfect, nothing really is, but I don't think it's meant to be, this album is self-help, the chance to let someone lick their wounds and voice their grief and anger to the world, that deserves credit to bare your soul this openly to critical scrutiny, I doubt this, or any other review will change how Sharon Van Etten feels about her music.

9/10

Mason

The National - An appreciation

Welcome to our new blog, 'Villainous Folk'. Just to kick things off here's an appreciation of 'The National' that I did a while back:

The National - An appreciation

They’ve only recently become big in the UK but in the US they are massive, even backing Barack Obama on his presidential campaigns. I only really discovered them this year when I saw them live on the main stage at Latitude festival over the summer. 5 albums, each a different beast entirely, from folky beginnings of their debut, to the grand sweeping magnificence of their latest, each is something to be enjoyed.

It took me a while to get their sobered up indie rock but I really just haven’t stopped listening to them since then and I think they must be my favourite band at the moment. What really struck me with their songs is how they get so much atmosphere and purpose with the songs without the use of any real catchy riffs or instrumental brilliance, not to say that the musicianship is bad, in fact it is so delicate and intricate it often goes unnoticed.

But for me the thing i most love about them is the vocals and the lyrics. The vocals and especially the vocal melody give the structure and drive behind many of the songs and the voice is just amazing, the deep baritone Matt Berninger gives the songs their slightly darker side that sometimes comes right out with full-on rage fuelled verses. The lyrics are something I really admire about the band, they constantly churn out deep, sophisticated lyrics album after album and they never become cliched or tiresome.

However the album of theirs I want to share is their latest album, High Violet. This for me showcases The National as a band and gives the best example of what they do as well as every song on the album being brilliant in its own right. The vocal melodies in this album are brilliant and makes up for any missing riffs guitar-band lovers might want. Bloodbuzz Ohio gives the album a very strong single and leading song and the rest of the album builds around it and for really only the first time in my life I’ve found an album without one song being out of place.

These are a few songs of the National that I think showcase the band and High Violet:

• The National - Brainy. This song for me shows why I love The National so much, the drums, the voice, the guitars, the intricate musical accompaniments swirling in the background, perfection.

• The National - About Today. This song I only discovered recently on The National's 'Cherry Tree EP' and I'm so glad I did. Its simplicity and short brutal lyrics really struck a chord with me at the time, something this band seems to do all too often!

• The National - Available. One of the only national songs with a strong riff in it, the angry vocals at the end feel really genuine and cutting.

• The National - Cardinal Song. The lyrics are beautiful and so profound and make anything I write seem like cliched garbage. “Never tell the one you love that you do, save it for the deathbed when you know you kept her wanting you.”

• The National - Fake Empire. A beautifully constructed song and so grand and classy.

• The National - Mr November A rock song, the chorus beautiful, angry and heartfelt. "I won't fuck us over! I'm Mr November! I'm Mr November! I won't fuck us over!"

Songs from 'High Violet':

 

• The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio. For me is a culmination of everything the National have achieved and stand for.

• The National - Afraid of Everyone. This is probably my favourite song by The National, the lyrics are beautifully constructed, the rip of the guitar through the song is really felt and emotion just pours out of this song in bucketloads.

• The National and Bon Iver - Vandelyle Crybaby Geeks. The beautiful closing track of the album, full of sweeping brass, heartfelt lyrics and here joined onstage by the haunting voice of Justin Vernon from Bon Iver.

• Mumford and Sons - England. One of my other favourite bands Mumford and Sons have done a cover of a brilliant song off the album, England. Here’s the original as well. The National - England.

Anyway that’s why I love the National, I urge you to give them a listen and if you ever get the chance go and see them live as it was what really got me into music because of the way they made me feel and I wanted to do the same for other people.

By Mason Boycott-Owen