“Serpents” – Sharon Van Etten
Ms. Van Etten has a wonderful ability to create dramatic tension in her music. Her best songs, like this, build to an emotional peak early, then sustain it for the remainder of the song without either letting up or resolving it. It’s a tough trick to pull off, but time-and-again she does it.This song is full of ache, longing, regret, disappointment, and a touch of fear. It is completely magnificent.