I’ve just had a lovely long weekend that
managed a perfect balance of quiet time and social events.
I also broke down and did my semi-annual online
order of music. I hate doing this (shop local!) but some of this stuff is just
impossible to find and so, every now and then, I resort to the interwebs. I feebly
justify this by telling myself that over 90% of my musical purchases are made
at brick-and-mortar stores, including this next album.
Disc 1308 is… Remind Me Tomorrow
Artist:
Sharon Van Etten
Year of Release: 2019
What’s up with the
Cover?
This room has all kinds of issues, from the strewn clothes, to what look like
various types of abandoned meals to the two unattended children, one of whom
appears to be unsubtly suggesting it is time to set up the pool in the backyard.
Just looking at this maelstrom of junk makes my brain tired.
How I Came to Know
It: I knew about Sharon Van
Etten from previous albums, but I had never been inspired to bring her into my
collection. “Remind Me Tomorrow” got such positive reviews I decided to give
her another try. I’m glad I did.
How It Stacks Up: I have two Sharon Van Etten albums, this one
and 2014’s “Are We There” which I had opportunity to revisit for reasons that
I’ll get into when I roll it. For now, I’ll just stack ‘em up – a process that
finds “Remind Me Tomorrow” coming in at #1.
Ratings: 4 stars
The opening track on “Remind Me Tomorrow” begins
with Sharon Van Etten’s airy voice whisper-singing “Sitting at the bar, I
told you everything.” It is a haunting harbinger of what you should expect
for the next 40 minutes.
That track, “I Told You Everything” is
one of the album’s best, from its stark piano chords, to its delicate capture
of those moments of pure intimacy; moments when you decide to let another person
see all the way through you and hope for the best. The song’s arrangement also
slowly builds like a confessional, adding the thump of a bass and drum, and the
heavy reverb of drone and synth as the portentous decision to trust unfurls
like a flower, blooming at night.
If that all sounds a bit overwrought, I hope you’ll
forgive me; the album tends to pull you toward the grandiose. Van Etten is not
afraid to be at the center of that experience, fearlessly holding conversations
with herself. On “Seventeen” she looks back to her carefree youth. The song
has the insistent energy of a discotheque, as she sings unheard wisdom to her
younger self, slowly realizing that despite all the weary years between them,
she is still the same girl.
With “You Shadow” the coin flips, and
it is the weight of the past that at first appears to be holding her back,
before she calls out her darker nature, and melds it back into herself:
“You never done nothing wrong
You don’t do nothin’ I don’t do,
You shadow.”
The album’s backdrop to all of this internal
exploration is laden with bass and ambient sound. Van Etten’s vocals are strong
and clear, but she keeps them tastefully back in the mix. The overall effect is
like lying back in a snowdrift and watching the stars, cold but comforted.
I’m not usually a fan of this wall of sound
approach to production, and on other records this is where Van Etten loses me. “Remind
Me Tomorrow” breaks that trend through the sheer quality of both the
songwriting and the arrangements. Van Etten keeps the lyrics simple, but they
have a piercing insight, and while there is a lot going on, the songs build slowly
and give your ear time to adjust.
As a small aside, I also liked the CD booklet.
It featured simple black type on white paper and included song lyrics and who
played what instruments on each. CD makers take note: simpler is better.
Sharon Van Etten consistently makes good
music, but she doesn’t consistently make music that appeals to me. On “Remind
Me Tomorrow” it all comes together, creating a record that makes me excited to
hear where she goes from here.
Best tracks: I Told You Everything, No One’s Easy to Love, Comeback
Kid, Seventeen, You Shadow, Hands
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