Sharon Van Etten – 'Epic' review
For an album whose seven tracks run to barely half an hour, Epic is a misnomer of, well, impressive proportions. Indeed, the hotchpotch of genres on display here, from the urgent wail of Peace Sign to the four-square country chug of One Day, suggests a more small town, homespun piece of work, and Van Etten’s inter-song giggles and self-deprecations only augment that haphazard feel.
Indeed, with its modest length and cavalier stylings, it’s a tribute to Van Etten’s songwriting that Epic has such a well-defined arc. Split into three ten-minute sections, the record builds, slows for the beautifully ponderous centrepiece pairing of DsharpG and Don’t Do It, and finally levels out into the gorgeous harmonium-driven Love More. It’s a canny move: the album’s pacing achieves a sense of fullness and unity that happily outweighs its individual parts’ inconsistencies.
7/10
