angel olsen

whilst we were mesmerised by the oldy-worldy-country-folk sound of ‘halfway home’, the follow-up makes far more of her grittier side & the result is utterly unforgettable.

taking a similar ramped up approach to that sharon van etten achieved with ‘tramp’, olsen sings with full-throated exultation, admonition & bold, expressive melody & the noisy, fiery hints in her earlier work find a fuller expression here. with the help of producer john congleton, her music now crackles with a churning, rumbling low end & a brighter energy. ethereal & hypnotic performances are balanced by cathartic & visceral songs, sharing the full grace & beauty of her transformative moments. highly recommended for fans of shannon wright, sharon van etten, waxahatchee, cat power or diane cluck.