If you are a human being with working emotions, there are plenty of albums that will make you cry. That’s not what we’re dealing with here. Sharon Van Etten has become famous for exploring the dark convolution of romance, and Are We There leaves you with something far scarier than messy sobs. You walk away with an emptiness that comes from knowing that her work is the pure, ugly truth in a way that can only be described as beautiful.
Don’t be too frightened, though. Van Etten’s album emotes tender warmth right alongside those words of melancholy, which is what makes her work so enrapturing. And for this album — produced mostly by Van Etten herself, mind you — the music fittingly acts as cast and character to her vocals. Deviating from the subdued sounds of her debut album, while not overcompensating in the same way she did with Tramp, Are We There is an emotively stunning and balanced work that may solidify her in the canon of great artists.
After a conspicuous bout of silence, the album is capped with stark contrast: laughter. It’s some sort of in-studio blunder caught on tape, but I can’t help but wonder if the parting sounds are her way of urging us to keep our chins up.
Are We There