Sunday, February 5, 2012

2-5-12 - "Serpents" ~ Sharon Van Etten

This one has caught my ear on 91.3 WYEP a few times lately.  For some reason, it reminds me of Florence + The Machine, but that may just be me.  The song is a driving folk rock tune about snakes, and who doesn't love that?


But seriously, the serpents are a metaphor for the poisonous thoughts left over from a traumatic relationship.  Van Etten's lyrics are a maelstrom of resentment and conciliatory efforts as she tries to come to grips with these emotions.  The harmonies dance a tightrope on the edge of catastrophe, evoking the mental turmoil and dragging the listener along for the ride.




"you hold the mirror well 
to everybody else..."
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2 comments:

  1. Brendan W. SullivanFebruary 17, 2012 at 1:05 AM

    "Van Etten's lyrics are a maelstrom of resentment and conciliatory efforts as she tries to come to grips with these emotions."

    Exactly! The lyrics are exactly what really hooked me into this album: http://www.drawuslines.com/album-reviews/roundtable-review-sharon-van-etten-tramp/

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  2. UnknownFebruary 17, 2012 at 7:14 PM

    To be honest, I haven't gotten around to listening to the rest of the album (though I did see that yinz DUL kids did the roundtable write-up). It's on my to-do list, though!

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