Sharon Van Etten

Sharon Van Etten’s gorgeously mournful vocals and bedroom-intimate recording aesthetic makes comparisons to Feist and Cat Power a little too easy, though quietly melodic ballads like “For You” and “Much More Than That” would fit just as well in Gap commercials or your girlfriend’s favorite mix-tape. On 2010’s Epic, Van Etten steps out and exhibits a newfound (and incredibly becoming) assertiveness. That sound’s come to fruition with her newest record, Tramp, a fully realized and sterner look at the sometimes hard truths of everyday life. Produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner, the record features some choice cameos from indie-rock heavyweights like Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner and The Walkmen’s Matt Barrick, all of which should indicate Van Etten’s finally getting the respect she so richly deserves.

Updated 03/14/2012