Are We There
| Are We There | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Sharon Van Etten | ||||
| Released | May 14, 2014 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock, folk, alternative rock, folk rock | |||
| Length | 47:03 | |||
| Label | Jagjaguwar | |||
| Producer | Sharon Van Etten | |||
| Sharon Van Etten chronology | ||||
| ||||
Are We There is the fourth studio album by American singer–songwriter Sharon Van Etten, released on May 14, 2014.[1]
On the lack of a question mark in the title, Van Etten said: "… open-ended, I ask myself that question all the time, for my work, for my love, even for my friends. It's just really good to check in with yourself and it's a play on words, about touring and about travelling, being in transition."[2]
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 86/100[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| The A.V. Club | A–[5] |
| Chicago Tribune |  [6] |
| The Guardian | [7] |
| The Independent | [8] |
| NME | 8/10[9] |
| Pitchfork Media | 8.2/10[10] |
| Q | [11] |
| Rolling Stone | [12] |
| Slant Magazine | [13] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 86, based on 36 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[3] At Rolling Stone, Will Hermes rated the album four stars out of five, remarking how Van Etten's "darkness contains multitudes" just as Nick Cave's does, and he states Van Etten's latest release is "magnificent... which grows her trademark examinations of romantic decay to cathedral-like scale."[12] Fred Thomas of AllMusic rated the album four stars out of five, indicating how Van Etten "can deliver her songs with a powerful, borderless command."[4]
Accolades
Due to its high rating of 86 on Metacritic, Are We There became the fifth most critically acclaimed album of 2014. In addition, the album has earned positions on several Year-End charts. The album was placed at number twenty on Rolling Stone's list of the "50 Best Albums of 2014." Likewise, NME placed the album at number thirty-one on their list, while Q Magazine placed it at number seven.[14] Jessica Goodman and Ryan Kistobak of The Huffington Post included the album on their list of 2014's best releases, calling the album "earnest and tragic".[15]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Afraid of Nothing" | 4:05 |
| 2. | "Taking Chances" | 3:50 |
| 3. | "Your Love Is Killing Me" | 6:18 |
| 4. | "Our Love" | 3:53 |
| 5. | "Tarifa" | 4:51 |
| 6. | "I Love You But I’m Lost" | 4:19 |
| 7. | "You Know Me Well" | 4:32 |
| 8. | "Break Me" | 4:01 |
| 9. | "Nothing Will Change" | 3:16 |
| 10. | "I Know" | 3:36 |
| 11. | "Every Time the Sun Comes Up" | 4:23 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Sharon Van Etten − vocals, guitars, piano (1, 4, 6, 7, 9), organ (2, 3, 4, 7, 8), Omnichord (2, 4, 10), drums (4, 6, 7), bass guitar (2), claps (10)
- David Hartley − bass guitar, guitar (4, 10), synth bass (3), baritone guitar (3), backing vocals (10), claps (10)
- Zeke Hutchins − drums, percussion (4, 5, 8), backing vocals (10), claps (10)
- Heather Woods Broderick − backing vocals (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10), strings (1), wurlitzer (7)
- Jonathan Meiburg − guitar (1, 4, 5), organ (4, 5), wurlitzer (5)
- Mickey Free − beats (2, 4, 7)
- Doug Keith − guitar (2, 10), bowed guitar (7)
- Jacob C. Morris − wulitzer (2), organ (3, 5), piano (3, 7)
- Adam Granduciel − guitar (4, 10), wurlitzer (10)
- Stewart Lerman − piano (1), organ (4)
- Mackenzie Scott − backing vocals (1, 4)
- Mary Lattimore − harp (4, 7)
- Stuart Bogie − woodwinds (5, 8)
- Marisa Anderson − guitar (1)
- Peter Broderick − strings (1)
- Jana Hunter − backing vocals (2)
- Little Isidore − backing vocals (10)
Charts
| Chart (2015) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[16] | 123 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[17] | 164 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[18] | 33 |
| US Billboard 200[19] | 25 |
| US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[20] | 6 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[21] | 7 |
References
- ↑ "Sharon Van Etten - Are We There (File)". Discogs. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- ↑ Lau, Melody. "Sharon Van Etten Explains the Open-Ended Nature of 'Are We There'". Exclaim!. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- 1 2 "Reviews for Are We There by Sharon Van Etten". Metacritic. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
- 1 2 Thomas, Fred. "Are We There – Sharon Van Etten". AllMusic. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
- ↑ VanDerWerff, Todd (May 27, 2014). "Sharon Van Etten unleashes an epic that’s punishing—in a good way". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
- ↑ Kot, Greg (May 23, 2014). "Sharon Van Etten tucks turmoil inside melodies". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
- ↑ Jonze, Tim (May 22, 2014). "Sharon Van Etten: Are We There review – breathtaking lyrics, hit-and-miss songs". The Guardian. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
- ↑ Harley, Kevin (May 23, 2014). "Sharon Van Etten Are We There (Jagjaguwar)". The Independent. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
- ↑ Traynor, Cian (May 23, 2014). "Sharon Van Etten – 'Are We There'". NME. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
- ↑ Deusner, Stephen M. (May 27, 2014). "Sharon Van Etten: Are We There". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
- ↑ "Sharon Van Etten: Are We There". Q (336): 117. July 2014.
- 1 2 Hermes, Will (June 5, 2014). "Are We There". Rolling Stone (1210): 73. ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
- ↑ Caldwell, Caleb (May 25, 2014). "Sharon Van Etten: Are We There". Slant Magazine. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
- ↑ "Album of the Year" lists
- ↑ Goodman; Kristobak, Jessica; Ryan (15 December 2014). "The 23 Best Albums of 2014". The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Sharon Van Etten – Are We There" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Sharon Van Etten – Are We There" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
- ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Sharon Van Etten – Are We There". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
- ↑ "Sharon Van Etten – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Sharon Van Etten. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
- ↑ "Sharon Van Etten – Chart history" Billboard Top Alternative Albums for Sharon Van Etten. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
- ↑ "Sharon Van Etten – Chart history" Billboard Top Rock Albums for Sharon Van Etten. Retrieved February 8, 2016.