As much as 2016’s My Womansuccessfully broke out from a folk formula that Angel Olsen had so perfected, it seemed to almost shed something essential about the singer-songwriter. The sorrowful rigors of her previous work hadn’t gone away, but an adherence to a jangly 90s indie rock aesthetic somehow dulled them. While single “Shut Up and…
It makes a lot of sense when you learn that both Noah Lennox and Justin Vernon have degrees in religious studies; Panda Bear’s seminal Person Pitch and Bon Iver’s last few albums are underlined with a kind of appreciation for religiosity that challenges limp “liberal” skepticism à laBill Maher while also inspiring much more interesting reactions…
most of us can attest to this -
music can be commanding,
evoking fond memories of the past
or calling forth melancholic remembrances.
when i listen to "intern" -
i'm transported to this stupidly pristine moment
of stretching out on a bed of heaven,
white pillowcases, white sheets, white duvet cover
in the perfect sort of disarray
with my FWB crooning at me
"i don't care what the papers say",
me giggling in response.
angel olsen possesses this
haunting yet erring on grating voice
with the country nasal whine.
it's really the lyrics that carry the album.
well, that and the well tempered pop sensibility
interspersed with country twangs.
sorry to be predictable but,
god,"shut up kiss me" -
i mean, c'mon.
this isn't my top album of the year
but that surely is my favourite track of the year.
i couldn't stop singing it
for at least 2 months straight if not longer.
something about it's simplicity
yet the successful build
the swell! the peak!
then that trough
the subdued threat
then we're back again!
plus, i’m pretty sure
that most of us
can relate to feeling psycho tendencies
with matters relating to love
(but suppression is an adult defense mechanism
it’s cool.)
also, shouting out
"shut up kiss me oh retard"-
it's like a guilty pleasure
(yes, retard isn't PC
i'm well aware)
that happens to be oh so cathartic
especially when chased with a
"oooooooh oh oooooooh"
oh yeah,
and the music video is
a simply perfect visual accompaniment
well, this album
is on most year end lists
so i'll spare you any more shoddy analysis
since you can find much more elsewhere.
to start:
shut up kiss me (what the hell, you haven't heard this track yet?!), sister, never be mine
For some reason, I never paid much attention to Angel Olsen. Man, was I an idiot. This little gem had me right from the get-go. Maybe because it reminds me a little bit of Julie Doiron, or maybe it's because of Olsen's brooding and hushed vocals. Regardless, this one's a definite winner.
"Iota" appears on Olsen's first full-band album Burn Your Fire For No Witness, out on Jagjaguwar
Who is DIANA? Why do I feel a little late to this game? All I know is that this song came up on my Soundcloud feed and I'm pretty excited to hear some synth pop reverberating in my eardrums right about now. I like how the song comes in and it sounds like there's a crow or something flying up behind me and then some pretty lovely vocals come in and the beat picks up and it's just grand.
