From returning to college, starring in the Netflix series The OA and getting pregnant, New York-based singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten has had a busy few years prior to the arrival of her fifth studio outing, Remind Me Tomorrow. The record, helmed by indie rock's go-to producer John Congleton (St. Vincent, Future Islands, Unknown Mortal Orchestra), reflects those changes in her life via a stylistic shift that emphasises less on the guitars, but more on other instruments like synths, pianos and even occasional drones.
The result here is a step beyond the traditionally reticent Sharon Van Etten record. It's bold, confident and decidedly darker in its sonic palette. Nowhere is this more apparent than lead cut Comeback Kid, a new wave-indebted anthem brimming with thunderous drums and swooshing synths. "Come back, kid/ Let me look at you!" she intones, taking on the curious enthusiasm of the people she encounters back in her hometown. The track is so far removed from what her fans are accustomed to that she felt she needed to pre-emptively issue an accompanying disclaimer: "I'm multidimensional, I'm not just that one person that they've heard before."
The rest of the album shares the same punchiness in varying degrees. No One's Easy To Love struts comfortably between electronica and rock, recalling early-days Garbage. The trip-hop-leaning Memorial Day, Jupiter 4 and Stay revel in moody drones, synths and muffled bass laced with Van Etten's layered vocals whereas Seventeen serves up a slice of good old heartland rock. Even the more traditional offerings like the piano ballads I Told You Everything and Malibu get their fair share of sombre organs. But nothing would quite prepare fans for You Shadow and Hands, two of the record's (and possibly her entire discography's) grittiest tracks.
The Verdict: With a bold and vital sonic shift, Remind Me Tomorrow is a perfect album for Van Etten to end one chapter of her life and mark the beginning of another.
Quotable lyrics: "Down beneath the ashes and the stone/ Sure of what I've lived and have known/ I see you so uncomfortably alone/ I wish I could show you how much you've grown" (Seventeen). Listen to this: Comeback Kid, Seventeen, No One's Easy To Love, Jupiter 4 and You Shadow.
THE PLAYLIST
Foals / Exits
One of the most exciting guitar bands in the world right now has got to be Foals, a long-enduring indie rock outfit hailing from the UK. After announcing the release of not one but two new albums under the title Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost, the Oxford (now) four-piece promptly follow up with the six-minute-long lead single Exits. Prefaced by Jack Bevan's readily recognisable drumming rhythms, the song rides on the groove not too dissimilar to Miami. "Now the sea eats the sky/ But they say it's a lie… The weather is against us/ Houses underground/ And flowers upside down," frontman Yannis Philippakis wastes no time getting political as he tackles climate change and wanting to take an underground refuge. Meanwhile, melodic synths and spindly guitarwork slide into view, sustaining the momentum befitting the burgeoning paranoia of "the post-millennial dread" and the feeling of being trapped in the age of hyper-surveillance ("Cause they watch us in sleep/ And the language that we speak/ And the secrets that we keep").
Westlife / Hello My Love
With Backstreet Boys recently back on the scene with a new album and Westlife regrouping after their eight-year split, it's looking like this year is going to be one of boyband reunions. On their comeback cut Hello My Love, the Irish manband is going the same sentimental route as BSB's No Place as they express their gratitude towards their partner. "Cause you could have someone without a belly or a temper/ Perfect teeth, hair growing where it's meant to," they sing on the uptempo Ed Sheeran-penned track, taking the mick out of their deteriorating looks like self-respecting grown-ups.
Shy Girls / This Is Your World
Hailing from Portland, Dan Vidmar, aka Shy Girls, has been making his own brand of sophisticated R&B since 2013. One EP, one mixtape and a couple of collaborations later, Vidmar returns with the promise of a new record, Bird On The Wing. Its first taste arrives in the form of This Is Your World, an ultra-smooth R&B jam infused with sleek jazz stylings. "I feel your presence in my bones/ Yeah from my chest to my toes… I feel my logic slip up/ Then I'm fully undone/ This is your beautiful world I'm only a passing one," he sings in the effortless falsetto reminiscent of Prince.
Lauv & Troye Sivan / I'm So Tired...
"I'm so tired of love songs, tired of love songs/ Tired of love songs, tired of love/ Just wanna go home/ wanna go home," begins I'm So Tired…, a collaboration between American and Australian popsters Lauv and Troye Sivan. While this is probably not the most inspiring chorus to have graced the history of pop music, the pair make it work by essentially repeating it until every word embeds itself deep in your brain. A catchy tune about being tired and wanting to go home? Say no more.
Calvin Harris (with Rag'n'Bone Man) / Giant
Following last year's number one hits Promises (featuring Sam Smith) and One Kiss (featuring Dua Lipa), Giant sees the Scottish EDM hitmaker linking up with Brit Award-winning soul crooner Rag'n'Bone Man, adding to his ever-expanding discography of collaborations. Here, Harris steers clear of the obvious EDM trappings and gives us something a little unexpected. "I am the giant/ Stand up on my shoulder, tell me what you see/ "Cause I am the giant/ Will be breaking boulders, underneath my feet," Rag'n'Bone Man sings, his deep, soulful vocals matched by a glorious brass section and a blues chant.
