Sharon Van Etten

Emerging from New York City, Sharon Van Etten is a singer songwriter with a grass roots intimacy and the voice of a beautifully tortured soul. Tonight’s venue, a wonderful 17th century church, added extra acoustic to the magic of tonight’s guest, but also added complication to the sound. Tunes from the latest album ‘Are We There?’ which she produced herself were astounding the audience into silence, so much so that Van Etten herself had to attempt to awaken the audience from a beautiful dream.

With excellent keyboards and sparring backing vocals, the band battled on. Intimate ballads and enlightening moments of refreshment washed over an entranced audience. Ending the show with ‘Your Love Is Killing Me’, Van Etten won over the church and they all went home happily to bed.

St George’s Church, Kemptown, 2 December 2014

Rating: