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Sharon Van Etten and the Attachment Theory album review | Alexis Petridis's album of the month

Fronting a brand new band, the singer-songwriter dives into the dark side, with confusion and foreboding creeping through 80s moods, big choruses and fine melodies

Over the course of her career, Van Etten has gradually bolstered and rounded out her sound, from the austere acoustic confessionals of her 2009 debut, via trebly Velvet Underground-ish indie, to something noticeably bigger and smoother, a tasteful – but not bland – take on widescreen alt-rock: mid-paced, stately, buoyed by synths and swelling choruses. Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory album artOf course, no artist is under any obligation to alter their approach, particularly in the 21st century: in an era of streaming and algorithms predicated on more of the same, there’s doubtless something to be said for maintaining a recognisable brand in a crowded marketplace. Van Etten frequently points up the breathier, more ethereal aspects of her voice: the flinty, folky tone she used early on in her career is noticeably absent, as is the fingerpicked acoustic guitar that used to accompany it.

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