Album Review: Sharon Van Etten - I Don't Want To Let You Down

Listen to this EP, clutching a steaming coffee and staring out of a rain-soaked window.

Van Etten, in this 22-minute snapshot, has expressed more feeling, vulnerability and perspective than many artists can hope to convey in a whole career. Van Etten gracefully leads a four-piece band, drenched in wistful piano, sparingly deployed reverby guitars and a wonderfully grounding organ sound. Cutting through all these layers is Van Etten’s voice, which taps directly into a seam of true emotion and honesty; cleansing, cathartic and ultimately empowered.