Like an unreleased side C of the musically mature, thematically searching
Are We There
,
Sharon Van Etten
enacts the same tone with repeat co-producer
Stewart Lerman
, and is lyrically still struggling, coping, and navigating trying relationships on
I Don't Want to Let You Down
. Some of those relationship problems were caused, she has admitted, by being absent in the pursuit of her music career, a dilemma of self-awareness that provides fodder for much of the five-track EP. In "I Always Fall Apart," accompanied only by wistful piano and strings, she tenderly repeats "It's not my fault/It's just my flaw/It's who I am." The remaining tracks all feature a full band, including rotating guest appearances by her vocal-harmony shadow aka multi-instrumentalist
Heather Woods Broderick
, guitarist
Adam Granduciel
and bassist
Dave Hartley
of
the War on Drugs
, bassist
Brad Cook
Megafaun
, and drummer
Darren Jessee
Ben Folds Five
, among others, all directing the spotlight toward
Van Etten
's rock-tender vocals. The self-titled opener has the quickest tempo, most pronounced guitars, and catchiest chorus, but still wails with yearning. The album closes with a seductively imperfect live performance of "Tell Me," an impactful, spaciously arranged rock lament with a far-reaching melody ("I believed you when you shut your eyes and dreamed a dream without me"). Comparisons to
Brandi Carlile
will continue as
pushes her vocals here with mourning yodels and sturdy grit over her ever poignant tone. Both strong and vulnerable,
is a concise and angst-packed set delivered with emphasis in all the right places. ~ Marcy Donelson