“Serpents” is a complete departure from Sharon Van Etten‘s early work. Admittedly, I missed her sophomore release, Epic from 2010, but was fully entranced by her debut, 2009′s Because I Was In Love. Here, she shatters the quietude of the stripped-down acoustic guitar of that earliest album with a folk-rock piece that is utterly haunting. Musically, “Serpent” may fit the title of her sophomore release, but it’s off her new album, Tramp, which was released yesterday via Jagjaguwar.

Download: “Serpents” by Sharon Van Etten

After a week away, it was nice to be back in the studio. This week I played several folk-related tunes, a few garage-based ones, and a small handful of indie pop tracks. With the amount of indie-folk I’ve played of late, I’m thinking we’re in store for another dreamy mix and maybe even a garage rock mix in the near future.

Andi and I have been on a DIY kick of late and a recent project has been homemade laundry detergent. With the three ingredients displayed in the photo above, along with water, we won’t have to purchase detergent for a few years. How’s that for cost cutting, hipsters?

I’ve highlighted a few tracks below (i.e. the bold ones) for sampling purposes. Download and enjoy!

Here’s the playlist:

“No Retro” by Basemint off No Retro b/w Basemint Theme 7″
“The City Still” by Bears off Greater Lakes

“Late Night Bikes” by Capybara off Dave Drusky
“So Long” by Fruit Bats off Tripper
“Song of the City” by Isidore off Life Somewhere Else

“Serpents” by Sharon Van Etten off Tramp
“Shallow” by Beach Fossils off Shallow b/w Lessons 7″

“In The Yard” by Bowerbirds off The Clearing
“Squawk” by Y La Bamba off Court The Storm
“Chasing Crows” by The Horde And The Harem off A Long Midwinter

“Bigfoot Camero” by Bel Air off Fall
“Switch” by Guy Capecelatro III off North For The Winter
“Lungs, Dirt & Dreams” by Damon Moon & The Whispering Drifters off Lungs, Dirt & Dreams

“Bet You Never Thought It Would Be Like This” by The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir off I Bet You Say That To All The Boys

“Weekend” by Smith Westers off Daytrotter’s Big Orange Studios Session
“I Am The Assassin” by Dag för Dag off Boo

“Doing As I Do” by The Beets off Let The Poison Out
“Girl” by Milk Maid off Yucca
“Vizcaya” by Jacuzzi Boys off Glazin’

“When I See You Again” by Shimmering Stars off Ghosts Past EP
“Come Monday Night” by God Help The Girl off God Help The Girl

“Forgiveness” by Girls off Father, Son, Holy Ghost
“Mona Lisa” by Atlas Sound off Bedroom Databank Vol. 3
“Unfaithful” by Charles Leo Gebhardt IV off Unfaithful

The introduction to Sharon Van Etten came, quite surprisingly, through a recent comment on my track review of Julie Peel’s “Unfold”. Even more shocking was the discovery that I had prior communication with Van Etten on other affairs. So she was more than gracious to provide me material in which to pump out this review. Because I Was In Love has the lovely female-fronted folk often reserved for masters like Mirah, Laura Gibson, and Julie Doiron.

Sharon Van Etten begins Because I Was In Love with the minimalistic “Holding Out”, finding solace alone with her guitar, where her voice holds its weight in creating the overall melody. Its subtleties lead perfectly into “Keep”, where Van Etten splits her vocals into harmony. Guitar, too, expands into a consistent finger-plucked melody as opposed to merely vocal accompaniment, and a soft organ joins for mystically romantic backdrop. By “Tornado”, Van Etten has added tambourine and a light electric guitar. It’s not until closing track “It’s Not Like” that she breaks free and increases volume.

Sharon Van Etten’s music fits that timeless style of folk-pop that extends from the ever present modern on back through time. Because I Was In Love is music that never gets old, and filled with songs that are continuously relatable. That the music Van Etten creates is powerful in all its soft melodies and hushed tones merely fills it with more greatness.

Sharon Van Etten: For You [mp3]

[CD, 2009]

1. Holding Out
2. Keep
3. Have You Seen
4. Tornado
5. Much More Than That
6. Consolation Prize
7. For You
8. I Wish I Knew
9. Same Dream
10. I Fold
11. It’s Not Like