Sharon Van Etten Brings Along Fiona Apple, Lucinda Williams, IDLES, and Others to Celebrate 'Epic Ten'

It's quite a guest list on the covers version

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Before she would have a commercial breakthrough a few years later with Serpent, Sharon Van Etten released her second album, epic.

Recorded in Philadelphia, it’s an album that showed Van Etten in her indie-folk singer-songwriter element before her giant soundscapes found on 2015’s Are We There and 2019’s Remind Me Tomorrow.

Ten years later, Van Etten is revisiting the album, but instead of releasing a simple anniversary remaster with demos and b-sides, she’s brought along an indie A-list of former collaborators and inspirations from the past and present to reimagine epic. It’s a fun exercise that allows the listener to become reacquainted with her early work while breathing fresh life into the songs.

With the opener “A Crime,” we’re introduced to Van Etten’s heavenly voice that has been the anchor on all of her records, no matter the changing sound surrounding it. Accompanied by only an acoustic guitar, it’s a raw number that finds her repeating, “never love myself like that again.” The cover is done by Big Red Machine, a project by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner of The National, who open up the song into a fuzzed-out frenzy full of vibratos and crash cymbals.

“Peace Signs” is a 90s alternative number led by a bass drum, floor toms, and a snare shuffle. Fittingly, it’s covered by the Bristol post-punk band IDLES, as the band makes the drums more immediate and crank up the guitars. Singer Joe Talbot also does more singing than his usual growl found on IDLES’ albums.

“Save Yourself” is a country song full of twang and slide guitars, with Van Etten’s multitracked vocals not taking any shit while singing, “don’t you think I know you’re only trying to save yourself, just like everyone else.” While her version is youthful, Van Etten’s idol Lucinda Williams shows up for the cover, turning it into a road-weary brush-off. Lucinda has no patience for your games, and it’s an album highlight.

“DSharpG” grinds along for six minutes, riding the harmonium with vocal flourishes joined sparingly by a tambourine and tom. Like Van Etten’s version, Shamir’s vocals are front and center for the reimagining. Sung in a crackly countertenor, Shamir hits all the right notes, often sounding like Prince, while adding more guitar work to the track.

In “Don’t Do It,” Van Etten is distant with vocals and guitar drenched in reverb. It’s a track that acts as a bridge, hinting at what was to come on Serpent. On the contrary, Courtney Barnett puts her vocals and slightly distorted guitar front and center, giving the song a completely different feel. The Aussie is also joined by Vagabon, who lends her vocals for the harmonies.

“One Day” is my favorite track from epic, a full-band effort with a nice bass part from Dave Hartley of War on Drugs and Nightlands. For her cover, St. Panther mostly tosses all of the traditional instruments and gives a lofi bedroom recorded effort with synths, drum machines, and clicks replacing tambourines. Don’t discount St. Panther’s autotuned vocals as she puts in the unique effort, turning the song into a pop endeavor.

The closer “Love More” is another song based around the harmonium, this time joined by spare feedback. Fiona Apple turns the track on its head, electing to establish the song around an ashiko drum, upright bass, and piano. It’s a song about the youthful naivety of a bad relationship, and Apple’s experiences and raw vocals elevate it to another level.

Sharon Van Etten has done a masterful job with this project. By selecting artists known for their unique vocal stylings, she has shined a light on her earlier work. While freshening up epic, Van Etten will make you realize just how good the original album is.

epic Ten is available via Ba Da Bing!.

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