However, there were a couple of things one must take into account that were said at that moment: as "Tramp" was released on February from last year, there are normally few chances to incorporate such album on the year's recount, since it is too far away. Surprisingly enough, this album made it, and it is regarded as one of the most important albums from 2012 for institutions on the matter, such as NME or Pitchfork.
I remember having written her name on a paper after reading in Super 45*'s magazine that she was one of the big things of the year. That was maybe July or August. I checked "Tramp" out, and was immediately caught by it. And I started, you know, suffering. This is an album that hurts. As the other albums already reviewed here, it's also very feminine. This is all about broken relationships, bad decisions, frailty. However, the songs in "Tramps" are quite different from the ones you can hear on her previous albums - "Epic" and "Because I Was In Love" - because there is a little hope of recovering from wounds soon, as soon as this pains stops, somehow. Listening to this album does not help to restore your faith in humanity - for boys or girls - but it is an enjoyable, sublime pain, if you will.
The reasearch made around this album is completely related to what you may feel listening to the bunch of songs "Tramp" unveils. Sharon is concerned with broken relationships. So, each one of her albums is related to the process of forgetting and forgiving, or not forgiving at all. However, this last attempt is a more complete one: here we listen to a stronger woman, with no fear of shouting her despair, letting go of all her bad memories. The album is plenty of remarkable, strong and simple verses which reflect precisely that: the pain of trying to forget bad love.
In the meantime of forgetting, Sharon met a group of nice, talented men to accompany the recording of the songs. So, you can meet throughout the album Zach Condon from Beirut, Jenn Wasner from Wye Oak, Matt Barrick from The Walkmen, Thomas Bartlett a.k.a. Doveman, and Aaron Dessner from The National. So, each one contributed with their own insights in music, and their particular styles, giving birth to amazing moments. Therefore, the album does not sound strictly folk, but filled with different forces, sounds and movement. Someone also commented on the fact that the artwork presents a picture of Sharon's face, which reveals the degree of confidence she's reached as a woman and as an artist.
The amazing moments on the album start from the moment you press play and encounter the powerful "Warsaw", which is a strong introduction to what is to come. It follows the intimate "Give Out". And then, you are smacked in the head by "Serpents", you feel like falling apart and screaming because of the strong drums and phrases like You enjoy sucking on dreams / so I will fall asleep with someone other than you, which became my favourite break-up phrase. Then, things calm down when you listen to "Kevin's" and "Leonard", both intimate and folkish. "In Line", the one that follows, invites you to stay in bed and cry a bit, because of its apparent slowness that becomes despair in the end. "All I Can" is closer to confession, but "We Are Fine" - Mr Condon's collaboration - is the asking for safety when one feels unprotected and cold. And we get to "Magic Chords", which is impossible not to relate right away to the video, but you got to watch it. The catchy phrase You got to lose, you got to lose, you got to lose sometime reminds you how lonely you might be because of your mistakes. You may feel stumbling and staring at what you fear. We slow down a bit with "Ask", "I'm Wrong" and "Joke or A Lie", filled with confessions and reflections. Somehow, the whole of the album ends up being too short, and certainly you want much more of it. The landing from our memories to the ground ends up being so boring when you've been too busy in introspection, remembering the person who hurt you, seeing him/her in front of you, and blaming him/her in your head. However, after listening to "Joke Or A Lie", maybe you can shed a tear and say Call it a joke or a lie / put a coat on / and believe me I tried. And feel in peace, at last, at the end of the album.
At least, up to listening to the album again.
*Note: Radio Horizonte and Super 45 are both Chilean media.
Mientras escribo esto, suena Kevin's, sin duda, uno de los puntos más altos del disco. Y cómo podría yo describir este trabajo? Se me ocurren una palabra que tal vez lo resuma: visceral. Y lo és, porque Miss Van Etten pareciera que se desgarra mientras interpreta la canción en cuestión (y muchas otras más). Con cada nota, cada verso que interpreta, pareciera que vuelve a vivir todo eso que la inspiró. No debió ser fácil todo lo que tuvo que pasar ella, y ud. lo describe perfectamente en su review. Es, definitivamente un álbum de corazones hechos polvo, y eso al plasmarse en sus 12 canciones lo lleva a un extremo visceral. Debo decir una cosa puntual: Hay pocas bandas o artistas en esta época que lleven esa intensidad tan a flor de piel como la Srta. Van Etten (sólo se me ocurre a PJ Harvey y los primeros Radiohead como las más cercanas referencias, aunque sus estilos vayan para distintos lados), y se me quedó dando vuelta un comentario que me hiciste una vez con respecto a que ya muy pocos artistas en éste momento hacen canciones felices. Claramente ésta mujer no está en ese grupito. Pero eso no significa para nada que el disco no sea estupendo. Y lo es, totalmente.
ReplyDeleteEste es mi humilde comentario, y nuevamente he quedado sin mucho que aportar, la dueña de este gran blog siempre se lleva todo el crédito.
Un beso.
Lov u.