Sometimes we just want to be told that it’ll be alright. Sharon Van Etten understands this, and the past decade has been one of collaborative and electrified in-studio tinkering for her after years of indie rock songs steeped in solo-songwriter introspection. Van Etten is going all-in on jam sessions with her redressed band, the Attachment Theory, in 2025. During recent tour rehearsals, the musician found herself initiating extended jams with her long time band for the first time. The resulting 10-track album’s promo cycle kicked off with lead single and dark synth odyssey “Afterlife.” “Will you see me in the afterlife? / Will you tell me what you think it’s like?” Van Etten asks over the ’80s synth-rock squall.
Van Etten is trying on a new guise here and it’s refreshing to hear her revelry. “Afterlife” owns its longing through its drum pad beat, synth growls, and soaring melody that only the goth-rock and synth-pop genre favorites truly crystallized, all while Van Etten’s yearning for a lost loved one takes center stage. For so many of us, 2024 was full of scrambled signals and media distractions. “Afterlife” looks to human connection to unshackle our grief so we can wake up from the dream of modern life. A jam band can be a ridiculous endeavor without self-editing, but Van Etten and the Attachment Theory let their hair down and step out of the dream world with confidence.
The Fat Angel Sings 