Angel Olsen - All MIrrors
There hasn't been an exact pattern in each of Angel Olsen's albums. In fact, this stretches to her latest work 'All Mirrors', released by Jagjaguwar Records on this October 4. Following the hints from her previous album marked by the synths arrangement in the song 'Intern', we would have expect that this album - could be - setting the path of 80's lush new wave/synth pop vibes. Or at least falling into the category of Lana Del Rey's somber melodramatic pop.
However, with the initial song releases of the title track and 'Lark' some weeks before the album came up, we are assured that Angel Olsen has tricked the listeners again, the ones who expect similar patterns laid from her increasingly successful previous works. There goes the simple indie folk guitar tunes that built in her first album "Half Way There", to a more electric guitar driven indie goddess in "Burn Your Fire for No Witness", then gaining a more worldwide audience in a very polished and more mature "My Woman". And this time, from out of the blue, she delivers her truthfully emotionally howling songs in such an eclectic manner, brilliantly bringing mysterious after midnight London streets in 60s vibes, to a Phil Spectorish unforgettable wall of sound tunes blended with high dose orchestrated strings in this highly anticipated album - after a painstakingly 3-year waits. Take some look at the first track "Lark", a song that set up the complexity of the whole album nuance. Started with some sweet tap in, gradually building up the despair momentum halfway the song, but treated by some nice bridges in between, and finally eating up your nerve when she says "Dream on, dream on, dream on" just to be ended by a grandeur orchestration climax.
The title track "All Mirrors" is probably the only song on the album that can attract a choral mass singalong with its upbeat 80s synth sound teaming up with a powerful drum machine beats, but hold on - since the song takes a somber and dramatic approach in the end. As if she doesn't want the listeners to stay in a comfort zone for quite a long time.
Halfway through the album, "Spring" is so soothingly relaxing, as if life can't be more beautiful than just watching the sunset from porch on top of the hill. "What It Is", "Tonight", and "Summer" will lifts us wondering why helplessly drifting in the Nile river looking up at the Orion constellation and slowly watching Abu Simbel temple disappears.
It's an album that defies any categorization in this year, with so many powerful songs and some delicate orchestral arrangements, as if listening to the 2019 version of Pet Sounds or Sgt Peppers. Or Scott Walker's 60s experimental works. She really nails it in putting all the audacious efforts, and if you can set up your stereo set to its maximum performance, the vast, rich and melodic sound produced in this album is very unbelievably spectacular. It's a sample set of songs that unlikely can be enjoyed in a standard stage, unless being played in a concert hall. So it would be very interesting to see how she plays it live with her regular backing band on her upcoming tours.
note :
She performed "All Mirrors" in Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show at night, with stinging tiara and bringing her squad of strings on stage !
However, with the initial song releases of the title track and 'Lark' some weeks before the album came up, we are assured that Angel Olsen has tricked the listeners again, the ones who expect similar patterns laid from her increasingly successful previous works. There goes the simple indie folk guitar tunes that built in her first album "Half Way There", to a more electric guitar driven indie goddess in "Burn Your Fire for No Witness", then gaining a more worldwide audience in a very polished and more mature "My Woman". And this time, from out of the blue, she delivers her truthfully emotionally howling songs in such an eclectic manner, brilliantly bringing mysterious after midnight London streets in 60s vibes, to a Phil Spectorish unforgettable wall of sound tunes blended with high dose orchestrated strings in this highly anticipated album - after a painstakingly 3-year waits. Take some look at the first track "Lark", a song that set up the complexity of the whole album nuance. Started with some sweet tap in, gradually building up the despair momentum halfway the song, but treated by some nice bridges in between, and finally eating up your nerve when she says "Dream on, dream on, dream on" just to be ended by a grandeur orchestration climax.
The title track "All Mirrors" is probably the only song on the album that can attract a choral mass singalong with its upbeat 80s synth sound teaming up with a powerful drum machine beats, but hold on - since the song takes a somber and dramatic approach in the end. As if she doesn't want the listeners to stay in a comfort zone for quite a long time.
Halfway through the album, "Spring" is so soothingly relaxing, as if life can't be more beautiful than just watching the sunset from porch on top of the hill. "What It Is", "Tonight", and "Summer" will lifts us wondering why helplessly drifting in the Nile river looking up at the Orion constellation and slowly watching Abu Simbel temple disappears.
It's an album that defies any categorization in this year, with so many powerful songs and some delicate orchestral arrangements, as if listening to the 2019 version of Pet Sounds or Sgt Peppers. Or Scott Walker's 60s experimental works. She really nails it in putting all the audacious efforts, and if you can set up your stereo set to its maximum performance, the vast, rich and melodic sound produced in this album is very unbelievably spectacular. It's a sample set of songs that unlikely can be enjoyed in a standard stage, unless being played in a concert hall. So it would be very interesting to see how she plays it live with her regular backing band on her upcoming tours.
note :
She performed "All Mirrors" in Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show at night, with stinging tiara and bringing her squad of strings on stage !
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