Sharon Van Etten Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory
Released Feb 7, 2025 Jagjaguwar
Established consensus 17 professional reviews Updated Aug 27, 2026
Broadly positive consensus
Sharon Van Etten's Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory channels psychotherapy-era introspection into a synth-forward band record that alternates nocturnal gloom with sudden, propulsive light.
How ChoruScore worksCritics' Top Tracks
The songs critics returned to most
Idiot Box
4 critic mentions
“the new wave indebted “Idiot Box” begins with a simple structure but builds to a rousing climax” — PopMatters
Live Forever
3 critic mentions
“Live Forever” finds the group applying genuine and manufactured sounds, with Van Etten’s ethereal vocals” — PopMatters
Afterlife
3 critic mentions
“That is followed by the lead single, “Afterlife”, where she ponders whether we will see our person in life beyond” — PopMatters
Full critic consensus
Sharon Van Etten's Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory channels psychotherapy-era introspection into a synth-forward band record that alternates nocturnal gloom with sudden, propulsive light. Critics point to an embrace of 1980s synth textures and gothic, post-punk colors that reshape Van Etten's songwriting, and the critical consensus—79.59/100 across 17 professional reviews—tends toward praise for the album's adventurous moments even as some reviewers note intermittent lapses in cohesion.
Across professional reviews, standout tracks emerge as clear entry points: “Idiot Box” repeatedly surfaces as the album's widescreen, 80s-leaning centerpiece, while “Southern Life (What It Must Be Like)” and “I Can’t Imagine (Why You Feel This Way)” are praised for their mantric sweep and muscular low end. Reviewers consistently celebrate “Live Forever” and “Afterlife” for marrying ethereal vocals to New Order-adjacent rhythms and for balancing gothic menace with tender reflection. Critics agree that collaboration and the band dynamic expand Van Etten's palette, producing moments of colossal scope where synth-driven atmospheres and lyrical questioning meet.
Not all reviews are uniform; some critics appreciate the record's nocturnal ambience but worry that the band’s exploratory jams sometimes loosen songcraft. Still, the prevailing narrative frames the project as a deliberate reinvention: a record that foregrounds attachment, mortality, and nostalgic homage while offering several undeniable highlights. For readers searching for a concise verdict or the best songs on Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory, the consensus suggests that the album is worth attending to for its bold textures and the standout tracks named above, before diving into the full set of reviews below.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Live Forever
Afterlife
Idiot Box
Trouble
Indio
I Can’t Imagine (Why You Feel This Way)
Somethin’ Ain’t Right
Southern Life (What It Must Be Like)
Fading Beauty
I Want You Here
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 17 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Sharon Van Etten’s Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory finds its best songs in the collaborative, synth-drenched moments, particularly “I Can’t Imagine (Why You Feel This Way)” and “Southern Life (What It Must Be Like)”. The reviewer leans into the record’s nocturnal but luminous feel, praising Devra Hoff’s muscular bass on “I Can’t Imagine (Why You Feel This Way)” and the canyon echoes that make “Southern Life (What It Must Be Like)” rousing. Other highlights like “Live Forever” and “Idiot Box” are noted for marrying ethereal vocals with propulsive, New Order-adjacent rhythms. Overall, the critic frames these tracks as the album’s clearest successes, where the band’s exploratory jams yield moments of colossal scope.
Key Points
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The best song(s) showcase collaborative, synth-forward arrangements and strong bass—notably "I Can’t Imagine (Why You Feel This Way)" and "Southern Life (What It Must Be Like)".
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The album’s core strengths are its nocturnal synth textures, moments of vocal power, and successful band-driven exploration.
Themes
Critic's Take
Sharon Van Etten pushes herself into darker pastures on Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory, and the best songs - notably “Live Forever”, “Afterlife”, and “Trouble” - show why that gamble works. The reviewer traces her shift from solitary songwriter to bandleader and hears those tracks as the emotional and sonic anchors of the record, mixing gothic menace with tender reflection. There is genuine praise for the way these songs preserve Van Etten's traits while stretching her voice and aesthetic into glam, industrial, and post-punk territory. Ultimately, the best tracks on the album balance nostalgia and reinvention, making them the standout moments listeners will search for first.
Key Points
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The best song work comes from “Live Forever”, “Afterlife”, and “Trouble” for their emotional weight and sonic reinvention.
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The album's core strengths are its successful shift into darker, gothic and post-punk textures while preserving Van Etten's vocal identity.
Themes
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Critic's Take
Sharon Van Etten invites her band into the foreground on Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory, and the best songs on the album - notably “Idiot Box” and “Indio” - show that loosened, widescreen ambition. For listeners asking 'best tracks on Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory', the review points repeatedly to “Idiot Box”, “Indio” and “I Want You Here” as immediate listening gateways, because they capture the album's mix of wistful reflection and explosive payoff. The tone is admiring and observational, praising exploratory freedom even as cohesion loosens, so these songs function as the clearest exemplars of that trade-off.
Key Points
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The review singles out “Idiot Box” as a primary standout and listening recommendation.
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The album's core strength is the band's exploratory freedom and synth-driven widescreen arrangements that expand Van Etten's voice.
Themes
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Critic's Take
Sharon Van Etten returns on Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory still fascinated by attachment and its echoes, and the best tracks show that tension plainly. The review singles out “Idiot Box” as the album's big, 80s-leaning centerpiece with scope and heft, while “Southern Life (What Must It Be Like)” is praised as a winningly mantric moment that suits the record's gauzy, gothic resonances. Kitty Empire's voice here is measured and slightly cool, noting how the icy shadow sometimes distracts from Van Etten's searching songcraft, yet these standout songs make the album worth attending to.
Key Points
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The best song is “Idiot Box” because it delivers substantial 80s scope and heft, serving as the album's centerpiece.
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The album's core strengths are its thematic focus on attachment and strong, gauzy 80s-tinged production that suits select standout tracks.