Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory
{{Infobox album
| name = Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory
| type = studio
| artist = Sharon Van Etten
| cover = Sharon Van Etten - Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory.webp
| released = {{Start date|2025|02|07}}
| genre = Rock
| length = {{Duration|m=45|s=50}}
| label = Jagjaguwar
| producer = *Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory
| prev_title = We've Been Going About This All Wrong
| prev_year = 2022
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc = {{singles
| name = Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory
| type = studio
| single1 = Afterlife
| single1date = October 23, 2024
| single2 = Southern Life (What It Must Be Like)
| single2date = December 4, 2024
| single3 = Trouble
| single3date = January 16, 2025
}}
}}
Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten, and her first album with her group the Attachment Theory. It was released through Jagjaguwar on February 7, 2025, and was met with positive critical reception.
Composition and style
Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory is a rock album.{{Cite web |last=Schonfeld |first=Zach |title=Sharon Van Etten / The Attachment Theory: Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/sharon-van-etten-and-the-attachment-theory/ |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}} The Independent wrote that some of the material was haunting and vocally, "her voice descend[ed] in Siouxsie Sioux swoops on the chorus of “Southern Life (What It Must Be Like)”".{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/sharon-van-etten-and-the-attachment-theory-b2691871.html |author=Ewens, Hannah |title=Sharon Van Etten: ‘You have to find ways to be a good person – even when you don’t think other people are’ |publisher=The Independent |date=2025-02-09 |access-date=2025-02-09}}
Release and reception
{{Music ratings
| MC = 83/100{{Cite news |title=Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory by Sharon Van Etten Reviews and Tracks |work=Metacritic |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/sharon-van-etten-the-attachment-theory/sharon-van-etten |access-date=April 7, 2025}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web|last1=Donelson|first1=Marcy|title=Sharon Van Etten - 'Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory' Album Reviews, Songs & More|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/sharon-van-etten-the-attachment-theory-mw0004401948/|website=AllMusic |date=7 April 2025 |access-date=7 April 2025}}
| rev2 = DIY
| rev2score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite news |last1=Goggins |first1=Joe |title=Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory - Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory |url=https://diymag.com/review/album/sharon-van-etten-and-the-attachment-theory-self-titled |access-date=7 April 2025 |work=DIY |date=5 February 2025 |language=en}}
| rev3 =The Guardian
| rev3score = {{rating|4|5}}{{Cite news |last=Petridis |first=Alexis |date=January 30, 2025 |title=Sharon Van Etten and the Attachment Theory album review – going goth to confront our grim world |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/jan/30/sharon-van-etten-and-the-attachment-theory-review |access-date=April 7, 2025}}
| rev4 = The Independent
| rev4score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{Cite web|url= https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/sharon-van-etten-and-the-attachment-theory-review-b2693489.html|last=Brown|first=Helen|date=7 February 2025|title=Sharon Van Etten and The Attachment Theory’s self-titled record is an early Album of the Year contender|work=The Independent|access-date=7 April 2025}}
| rev5 = The Line of Best Fit
| rev5score = 7/10{{cite news |last1=Taylor |first1=Chris |title=Sharon Van Ettten and The Attachment Theory find strength in collaboration |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/albums/sharon-van-etten-and-the-attachment-theory-find-strength-in-collaboration |access-date=7 April 2025 |work=The Line of Best Fit |date=5 February 2025}}
| rev6 = Paste
| rev6score = 8.0/10{{cite magazine|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/sharon-van-etten-and-the-attachment-theory/sharon-van-etten-unlocks-a-new-level-of-creativity-with-the-attachment-theory|title=Sharon Van Etten Unlocks a New Level Of Creativity With The Attachment Theory|first=Ellen|last=Johnson|date=February 7, 2025|website=Paste|access-date=April 7, 2025}}
| rev7 = Pitchfork
| rev7score = 7.8/10{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/sharon-van-etten-and-the-attachment-theory/|title=Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory: Sharon Van Etten / The Attachment Theory Album Review|website=Pitchfork|last=Schonfeld|first=Zach|date=February 7, 2025|access-date=April 7, 2025}}
| rev8 = PopMatters
| rev8score = 8/10{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/sharon-van-etten-self-titled2|title=Sharon Van Etten Finds Freedom With Her Band|last=Gill|first=Patrick|date=February 12, 2025|access-date=April 7, 2025|work=PopMatters|language=en-US}}
| rev9 =Rolling Stone
| rev9score = {{rating|4|5}}{{Cite news |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |date=February 7, 2025 |title=Sharon Van Etten Tries a New Role: Team Player |work=Rolling Stone |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/sharon-van-etten-and-the-attachment-theory-review-1235259520/ |access-date=April 7, 2025}}
| rev10 = Under the Radar
| rev10score = {{Rating|8.5|10}}{{Cite web |last=Mullin |first=Kyle |title=Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory |url=https://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/sharon_van_etten_and_the_attachment_theory |access-date=7 April 2025|website=Under the Radar |language=en}}
}}
Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory was released on February 7, 2025, through Jagjaguwar.{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=John |date=2025-02-05 |title=Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory - Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory {{!}} Album Reviews |url=https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/sharon-van-etten-the-attachment-theory-sharon-van-etten-the-attachment-theory |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=musicOMH |language=en-GB}} It is Van Etten's seventh album, and follows We've Been Going About This All Wrong (2022).{{Cite news |last=Petridis |first=Alexis |date=2025-01-30 |title=Sharon Van Etten and the Attachment Theory album review – going goth to confront our grim world |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/jan/30/sharon-van-etten-and-the-attachment-theory-review |access-date=2025-02-10 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 83 out of 100 from 19 critic scores. John Amen of No Depression wrote that the album "captures [the] band at its most expressive and [Van Etten] at her most flexible, alternately immersed in her experience and bequeathing wisdom from a detached perspective". He concluded, "There may still be demons dancing around or even inside Van Etten, but they no longer call the shots".{{Cite web |title=ALBUM REVIEW: Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory Reach for New Heights |url=https://www.nodepression.com/album-reviews/album-review-sharon-van-etten-and-the-attachment-theory/ |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=No Depression |language=en-US}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory track listing
| all_writing = Sharon Van Etten, the Attachment Theory (Devra Hoff, Jorge Castellano, Kristina Lieberson) and Charles Damski, except for "Afterlife" and "Idiot Box", solely written by Van Etten and the Attachment Theory, and "I Can't Imagine (Why You Feel This Way)", written with Daniel Knowles.
| total_length = 45:50
| title1 = Live Forever
| length1 = 5:39
| title2 = Afterlife
| length2 = 4:08
| title3 = Idiot Box
| length3 = 4:10
| title4 = Trouble
| length4 = 5:00
| title5 = Indio
| length5 = 2:47
| title6 = I Can't Imagine (Why You Feel This Way)
| length6 = 3:06
| title7 = Somethin' Ain't Right
| length7 = 4:24
| title8 = Southern Life (What It Must Be Like)
| length8 = 3:48
| title9 = Fading Beauty
| length9 = 6:14
| title10 = I Want You Here
| length10 = 6:29
}}
Personnel
= Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory =
- Sharon Van Etten – vocals, production (all tracks); vocoder (tracks 1, 2, 4, 10), guitar (3, 9)
- Jorge Balbi – drums, production (all tracks), vibraphone (track 2)
- Devra Hoff – production (all tracks), bass (tracks 1–4, 6–10); guitar, synthesizer (5); vocals (7)
- Teeny Lieberson – production (all tracks), vocals (tracks 1–6, 8–10), synthesizer (1–4, 6–10), programming (1, 2), piano (4, 9), guitar (5)
= Additional contributors =
- Marta Salogni – production, mixing, programming
- Josh Block – production (tracks 1–3)
- Gili Portal – mixing, engineering
- Heba Kadry – mastering
- Balazs Altsach – engineering
- Chiara Ferracuti – engineering
- James Poucher – engineering
- Luke Pickering – engineering
- Alex Reeve – guitar (all tracks), synthesizer (track 2), vocals (3)
- Charley Damski – synthesizer (tracks 1, 8)
- Croissant Man – drums (track 3)
- Daniel Knowles – recording (tracks 6, 8)
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Chart performance for Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory ! scope="col"| Chart (2025) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"| Australian Vinyl Albums (ARIA){{cite web|url=https://www.aria.com.au/charts/vinyl-albums-chart/2025-02-17|title=ARIA Top 20 Vinyl Albums Chart|publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association|date=February 17, 2025|access-date=February 14, 2025}}
| 10 |
|---|
| {{album chart|Flanders|69|artist=Sharon Van Etten|album=Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory|rowheader=true|access-date=February 16, 2025}} |
| scope="row"| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/album/2025-02-14|title=NZ Top 40 Albums Chart|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|date=February 14, 2025|access-date=February 14, 2025}}
| 28 |
| {{album chart|Scotland|9|date=20250214|rowheader=true|access-date=February 15, 2025}} |
| {{album chart|Switzerland|43|artist=Sharon Van Etten|album=Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory|rowheader=true|access-date=February 16, 2025}} |
| {{album chart|UK2|75|date=20250214|rowheader=true|access-date=February 14, 2025}} |
| {{album chart|UKIndependent|2|date=20250214|rowheader=true|access-date=February 15, 2025}} |