We've Been Going About This All Wrong

Description

Sharon Van Etten has always been the kind of artist who helps people make sense of the world around them, and her sixth album, We've Been Going About This All Wrong, delves into what we feel, cry about, and go through when we think the world might be collapsing. Reflecting on how life changes can be both terrifying and transformative, We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong expresses the beauty and power that can be salvaged from the ruins. Intensely personal, the album explores themes such as motherhood, love, fear, what we can and cannot control, and what it means to be human in a world ravaged by so much trauma. The track "Home To Me," dedicated to her son, uses the "dark drums" found in the artist's previous works to evoke the sound impression of a heartbeat. The synths build in intensity, evoking the passage of time and the terror of the idea that our children are inevitably heading towards independence, and the desire to hold on just enough to protect them forever. "Come Back" reflects the longing to reconnect with a partner. Reminiscent of all the optimism of love felt in its early days, Sharon begins the track with the simple, pure beauty of her voice and a guitar, gradually building the arrangement alongside the call for the return of the person who has strayed, whether it be another or oneself. Oscillating between darkness and light, "Born" is an exploration of the self that exists when all other labels - mother, partner, friend - are frayed. The ten tracks on the album are designed to be listened to in sequence, so that a much broader story of loss, nostalgia, resilience, and hope can be told. It shows us the darkness, but also the light, and this balance is maintained by Sharon Van Etten's strange ability to pierce the hearts of her listeners while mending them. Things are not completely bleak, she reminds us, just a little dark.