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MUSIC<br />
©Photo by Dusdin Condren<br />
Above all, Van Etten’s firstperson<br />
heroines know themselves<br />
and, in most cases, where they<br />
stand. “Maybe something will<br />
change” she posits on the ponderous<br />
“Nothing Will Change,”<br />
already knowing the answer to<br />
her question as echoing harmonies<br />
surround her falsetto coo. In<br />
a world filled with cynicism and<br />
hesitation, Van Etten clings to<br />
an unspoken faith that suggests<br />
goodness ultimately wins out over<br />
agony. Amidst the disappointment<br />
on the solemnly spare “I Love You<br />
But I’m Lost,” her gospel-soaked<br />
declarations encourage reconciliation<br />
and growth. On the thumping<br />
chamber-rock drama “You Know<br />
Me Well,” she fights against personal<br />
darkness and decay with a<br />
passionate cry seemingly pulled<br />
from the depths of her soul. In Van<br />
Etten’s vignettes, turmoil, sacrifice,<br />
and love often become synonymous.<br />
She breaks her legs, cuts her<br />
tongue, burns her skin, and stabs<br />
her eyes in metaphorical fashion<br />
on the towering “Your Love Is<br />
Killing Me,” projecting a self-consciousness<br />
that turns her from victim<br />
into someone in control. “Afraid<br />
of Nothing” comes on like the sun<br />
breaking through low-lying clouds,<br />
Van Etten laying down terms and<br />
acknowledging nothing worthwhile<br />
is gained waiting on the sidelines—<br />
risk and suffering be damned.<br />
She documents what can happen<br />
when such ventures breed fear<br />
and tentativeness on “I Know,” a<br />
gorgeous solo piano-vocal piece<br />
that presents her as a singer with<br />
few contemporary peers.<br />
“Hold on/All I ever wanted was<br />
you,” she confesses, her breathy<br />
timbre swooping down on each<br />
word as if to extinguish lingering<br />
ambiguity and wrap her partner<br />
up with the warm embrace sincerity<br />
brings. Van Etten realizes such<br />
happy endings may be the stuff of<br />
fantasy, but she’s smart enough to<br />
understand that in order to attain<br />
dreams, chances need to be taken<br />
and protections must be surrendered.<br />
Listening to her voice—in<br />
both in its more insistent, liquid,<br />
huskier iteration on guitar-based<br />
fare and more patient, sensual form<br />
in which syllables float like weightless<br />
symphonies on lullabies—is all<br />
one needs to do to know whether<br />
or not the rewards outweigh the<br />
risk. —Bob Gendron<br />
48 TONE AUDIO NO.64<br />
July 2014 49
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