Van Etten, Sharon

***Certain musicians are magic. Their voices prick up the ears of those far afield, melt the hearts of those within earshot and magnetize the attention of those souls fortunate enough to have a clear sightline. Sharon Van Etten is a singer and songwriter who trades in that caliber of mysticism. What her heart bleeds her songs soak in and offer up to those throats in need of slaking. This is what we expect from musicians who trade in the autobiographical. We hold forth empty vessels and expect them to be filled with the reflective elements of a songwriter’s soul, mirrors within which we search for some small recognizable part of the self. Sharon’s bane may be to feel too deeply, but her raw nerves, open heart and generous soul offer the rest of us a means to ease our own points of suffering.