Phases by Angel Olsen
How do you best describe Angel Olsen? From the lo-fi, sparse folk-melancholy of her 2010 EP, Strange Cacti, to the electrified, polished rock ‘n’ roll bursting from 2016’s beloved and acclaimed MY WOMAN, Olsen has refused to succumb to a single genre, expectation, or vision. Impossible to pin down, Olsen navigates the world with her remarkable, symphonic voice and a propensity for narrative, her music growing into whatever shape best fits to tell the story.
Phases is a collection of Olsen’s work culled from the past several years, including a number of never-before-released tracks. “Fly On Your Wall,” previously contributed to the Bandcamp-only, anti-Trump fundraiser Our First 100 Days, opens Phases, before seamlessly slipping into “Special,” a brand new song from the MY WOMAN recording sessions. Both “How Many Disasters” and “Sans” are first-time listens: home-recorded demos that have never been released, leaning heavily on Olsen’s arresting croon and lonesome guitar.
The b-sides compilation is both a testament to Olsen’s enormous musical range and a tidy compilation of tracks that have previously been elusive in one way or another. Balancing tenacity and tenderness, Phases acts as a deep-dive for longtime fans, as well as a fitting introduction to Olsen’s sprawling sonics for the uninitiated.
Tracklist
| 1. | Fly On Your Wall | 3:38 |
| 2. | Special | 7:21 |
| 3. | Only With You | 2:35 |
| 4. | All Right Now | 2:59 |
| 5. | Sans | 2:34 |
| 6. | Sweet Dreams | 3:12 |
| 7. | California | 3:50 |
| 8. | Tougher Than the Rest | 3:31 |
| 9. | For You | 1:54 |
| 10. | How Many Disasters | 2:43 |
| 11. | May as Well | 2:39 |
| 12. | Endless Road | 2:04 |
Credits
License
All rights reserved.
Olsen’s flight is both upward and inward. On her vulnerable, Big Mood new album, All Mirrors, we can see her taking an introspective deep dive towards internal destinations and revelations. In the process of making this album, she found a new sound and voice, a blast of fury mixed with hard won self-acceptance.