Tripwire photographer Sarahana has a great music blog, and one of the regular features is a series of mini musical documentaries she calls the Secret Garden. For this very special installment, Sarahana gave us the exclusive to her video of the angelic-voiced, rising folk artist Sharon Van Etten singing “Keep” from her upcoming album, Because I Was in Love


Words and video by Sarahana

When twenty-eight-year-old Sharon Van Etten sings, her voice feels like a timeless story you’d read from a musty book, colored yellow with age. In some way, this voice is emblematic of the ultimate form of feminine heroism because it attains its unbreakable might by confronting its deepest wounds and vulnerabilities; its strength is that it is unafraid of its weakness.

With this kind of prowess up her sleeve, Sharon has been steadily winning the attention of everyone’s who’s crossed her path. It still feels like she remains one of the most overlooked jewels of new music, but that should be expected to change soon with the proper release of her stunning debut, Because I Was in Love, out on May 26 through Language of Stone Records.

The recent release of a music video for “For You”, directed by the seasoned Michael Palmieri (Foo Fighters, The New Pornographers), and opening sets for prominent bands such as Beirut and Great Lake Swimmers have already earned Sharon new praises from tastemakers outside the comfort zone of Brooklyn, the musical savvy borough that has been a kind home to her since leaving New Jersey, where she’s originally from, and Tennessee, where she spent several years growing up.

Before she embarked on her European tour, we visited Sharon at her apartment in Bushwick, Brooklyn, where she performed “Keep”, taken from her upcoming album, Because I Was in Love.

There is no question that A.C. Newman knows how to whip up some solid pop songs. He has a knack for witty lyrics, catchy hooks, and a pop mentally for orchestrating irresistibly and instantly accessible music. And on his latest solo effort, Get Guilty, the New Pornographers front man once again proves that he is the Canadian king of power pop.

It’s an album that is a solid listen from start to finish, jam packed with hook driven 60s chamber pop filled luscious orchestrations and that signature New Pornographer sound with help of Neko Case backing him up on vocals. It is hard to pin-point the best songs on Get Guilty since they are all embody an extremely enjoyable and heartfelt pop aesthetic, so I will just have to go with the songs that have been getting stuck in my head the most.

“The Heartbreak Ride” is one such beautiful pop song about late night rides to downtown L.A. It’s a heart tugging symphonic musical arrangement filled with trumpets, both acoustic and electric guitars and chiming bells. “Like a Hitman, Like a Dancer” and “Prophets” are both irresistibly catchy songs with great hooks that could easily fit in to a New Pornographers album with A.C. and Neko harmoniously singing together.

Albeit a hard task, if I had to pick a favorite song on the album, it would be “The Palace At 4 a.m.”, which is absolute pop bliss. With bouncy drums and an uplifting orchestration, it makes you want to dance around while singing the great chorus; “It was a straight shot / A straight shot / Lady would you call it off!” Such a perfect pop song; one that I have grown to expect from A.C.

For fans of New Pornographers and also new listeners this is an appealing album, filled with catchy songs and killer hooks. The sunny chamber pop is the perfect antidote for bleary winter days. Definitely my first must have album of 2009.

Matador Records