Upon its release, epic laid a romantic melancholy over the gravel and dirt of heartbreak without one honest thought or feeling spared. Van Etten's songs covered betrayal, obsession, egotism, and all the other emotions disliked in others and recognize in oneself. Her grounded and clenched vocals conveyed a sense of hope-the notion that beauty can arise from the worst of circumstances. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of this special album's release, and to acknowledge the convergence of Van Etten's present and past work, she asked fellow artists she admired to participate in an expanded reissue, where each artist would cover one different song from epic in their own style. The result is a double album featuring the original plus the new album of epic covers and reimagined artwork.
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