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Sharon Van Etten On World Cafe

XPN
Published July 9, 2012 at 3:11 AM MDT

Sharon Van Etten's raspy, elegant vocals and deeply confessional folk-rock have made her a rising star. Ever since her official debut in 2009, the heart-breakingly intimate Because I Was In Love, Van Etten has been expanding her sound and adding grit to her delivery.

Van Etten's third album, the transfixing Tramp, came out in February. Van Etten still sings of heartbreak, lost chances and first kisses, but the overall tone is more triumphant and defiant. Van Etten's luminous alto, dynamic instrumentation and star collaborators — Beirut's Zach Condon, Wye Oak's Jenn Wasner, The Walkmen's Matt Barrick — make Tramp wonderfully expressive and unforgettable.

This segment originally aired on March 9, 2012.

Copyright 2020 XPN. To see more, visit XPN.

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