TRACK REVIEW: Angel Olsen - Impasse

TRACK REVIEW:

Angel Olsen

Impasse

9.3/10

The track, Impasse, is available via:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWUtALx9i14

GENRES:

Indie-Country/Indie-Folk

ORIGIN:

North Carolina, U.S.A.

The album, All Mirrors, is available via:

https://open.spotify.com/album/0RedX0LZkGUFoRwFntAaI0?si=V_1NfdyhR0mH3wdji2nL9w

RELEASE DATE:

4th October, 2019

LABEL:

Jagjaguwar

PRODUCERS:

John Congleton/Angel Olsen

__________

I intend to re-cover a couple of themes that I have addressed…

PHOTO CREDIT: Taylor Boylston

in previous reviews when talking about Angel Olsen. I will come to her new material in a bit but, before getting there, I want to discuss a few other topics. I want to bring in Olsen’s relationship with her fans and how there is a difference between artists who have a bond with their fans online and those who remain relatively aloof. I also want to talk about transition and how, in 2019, we are seeing more albums explore that look into an artist’s heart and explore a darker side. I also want to mention Angel Olsen and her attachment to music; whether the politics of our time will affect her future and how her fans are reacting; a little about Olsen’s sound in the context of 2019 and where she might go from here. There are some artists who remain a little quiet when it comes to their fans. I can understand how, in an Internet age, some of the slightly older artists are more traditional and, either do not use social media, or they keep their interaction to business matters. I think any artist who has an online presence is great, but one does see a split between those who are active and collaborative and those who sort of back off a bit. There is a lot to be said for reaching out to fans and having that relationship. We live in a time when few fans writer letters to artists; where we have that physical connection and closeness. I follow quite a few artists online and it is wonderful seeing them update their pages and keeping everyone informed regarding what is happening. Olsen is someone who garners a lot of affection and has a closeness with her followers. You can go to her Twitter page – the link is at the bottom of this review – and she answers questions and shares stories. There is a danger of being too open or giving too much away; the riser in trolling is evident, but Olsen’s fans are hugely loving and supportive.

PHOTO CREDIT: Amanda Marsalis

More than anything, one gets the feeling Angel Olsen is accessible and has a grounded quality. She has experienced some bad times (more on that later) and does not want to exclude and push away her fans. What you find is this great artist who is always happy to answer questions; to treat her fans like family and have that connection. The fact Olsen is pretty open, humorous and real gives her music something powerful and relatable. You do get artists who seem distant online or do not have the time to have that relationship with their fans. That is okay, I guess, yet the power of seeing an artist go online and speak with their followers is amazing. Angel Olsen has no ego (or it doesn’t seem like it) and she is writing music that cuts to the heart and really gets into the head. She has built up a steady fanbase, and there are several reasons why she is so popular. Not only does she come across as very friendly and compassionate; the way she opens in interviews and puts her story on the page is also very powerful. I am glad Olsen is growing and building a healthy foundation. She is one of these artists I can see dominating festivals and getting some huge gigs very soon. She has a fantastic sound and is resonating with so many people around the world. Apart from Olsen being a pretty awesome human and being very real, the quality of her music is up there will the very best of the best. I think she is able to produce this sensational and peerless music because she digs deep and is unafraid to reflect what is inside of her. Some artists do get nervous when being too honesty and raw, feeling they will give too much away or they feel exposed and vulnerable. More and more artists are talking that step and are discussing their life in a pretty naked and potent way.

PHOTO CREDIT: Kyle Coutts

Angel Olsen has being pretty revealing in interviews regrading her past and how she has had to face change and struggling. I don’t know whether it is because more people are talking about mental-health and are being encouraged to open up; Olsen is someone who gives us a window into her life and how things have changed over the past couple of years. In interviews, she is warm and fascinating, but you also get someone who is very honest regarding her life. It seems that after her last album, My Woman in 2016, Olsen had to shoulder a lot of hurt and change. Maybe it was the pressure of this rise and the fact she was garnering so many great reviews and so much celebration. Regardless, as she explains in this interview with The Times, her life did undergo this almighty shift:

“My Woman received rave reviews, but in the summer of 2017 everything went to pieces. Olsen was playing at bigger festivals with the backing band she had hired. At Primavera Sound, in Barcelona, she says she will “always remember how 10,000 people were quiet for us”. Even so, she couldn’t enjoy it. She was struggling with personal issues at the same time as trying to be a band leader.

“I was dealing with a lot of emotional stress and relationship problems in front of my band, and trying to hide it from them,” she explains, “and they thought it was happening because I was upset with them. I’m not saying I’m a struggling alcoholic, but I was drinking to self-medicate.” They started off as her friends, then their relationship shifted. Eventually, she concludes: “We stopped talking to each other.”

She often wonders whether she feeds off that turmoil, especially when it comes to songwriting. She has calmed down a bit, fired some members and hired new ones, and found more balance. But still she asks herself: “‘Do I instigate trouble in my life so I can write about it?’ This is the eternal question. It definitely felt at times that I was a tortured artist and I got really excited about the drama of it.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Amanda Marsalis

All Mirrors is a lot to do with turning the looking glass inwards and owning up to her dark sides, as well as finding “peace” in solitude. She wrote and recorded the songs alone, and intends to release the album in a stripped-back version next year.

The album is doomy, gothic and sultry, but it is also hopeful. “I’ve always been obsessed with things ending, and death,” Olsen says. “A lot of that has to do with being raised by older people who are sick a lot.” She was adopted aged three, and her parents are now elderly. “My mother had surgery when I was 14, and she could have died. It’s helped me to appreciate time in a different way”.

Now that she has come through the other side of a rocky and unsure period, she is sort of looking inside herself and trying to find answers and catharsis. It might go a bit far to say her music is therapy, yet one gets the feeling Olsen has been able to tackle demons and find clarity through songwriting. Olsen, it seems, is natural curious when it comes to finality and death, but one could not help but sympathise and support her when she was going through bad times after My Woman. It is quite rare, even for a solo artist, to record and write songs alone. So many solo songwriters have a group of musicians, producers and writers helping them craft music. One can say having too many bodies around means the music loses focus and it is not as personal as it could be. The reverse is also true: if one is alone, does that mean the music lacks something or is a bit too personal? It seems like Angel Olsen needed to be on her own to process solitude and get that distance. She was communicating with fans but, when it came to creating and getting her music down, it seemed like a degree of separation was needed.

Even though Olsen has had to transition through hardship – a little more on that a bit later -, she has that undying love of music and its power. Music is transformative, and I think that is a reason why she receives so much love and interaction from her fans. They can hear a woman who is similar to them and is talking about things that mean a lot to them. Of course, even if an artist is direct and unguarded, that does not mean the music will resonate and appeal to everyone. It is hard to tick all boxes and cross borders. So many artists have their own fanbase and limits; they are not as wide-ranging as others and they struggle to speak to everyone. There is a select few that can do it all and create music that gets into the heart of the masses. Angel Olsen is one of those artists. She has a real desire for a sense of truth and beauty; a serious passion for music and writing that you can hear in every song. All Mirrors is rich with detail, nuance and beauty. There are darker moments, but they never seem too heavy or suffocating: instead, you are getting into the soul of a very brave and passionate woman. I wanted to bring in an interview from GQ, Olsen recently conducted where she talks about a variety of subjects – I shall come back to it a little later.

“I love playing music and I love writing, but the processes of writing and performing and doing photo shoots—they're all fun in different ways and they all teach me about myself and make me reflect about other people and other writers and other music, but too much of it drives me insane. It's difficult to keep in touch with people, and feel known and to know people.

So I think a lot of the songs came from the isolation that I felt and the irony of becoming successful, somewhat, and known in this way that I'm now responsible for. It's been really good for my life, but it's also been isolating and a little weird. In my experience, people forget to check in because they think, “Oh people love your music and you’re doing really well. You must be doing really well. You must feel on top of the world.”

That last sentiment and expression is quite sobering. I have mentioned how Olsen has this bond with her fans, but in the real world, it seems like there is an assumption that she is okay because her records sell and she is popular. Social media is a way of correcting that assumption and being pretty open when it comes to the reality of life. Olsen’s fans are very open, yet you do get people who will be negative and attack that honesty – there are problems when one shares too much online. I digress, of course. I think Olsen can express a lot of herself through her music. It seems like this very noble calling for her and, when listening to the music on All Mirrors, one is struck by the power and beauty. I think music is more than a way of processing and understanding emotions when it comes to Olsen. It is more than simply expressing herself and being honest. If her latest album is about looking inwards and trying to find a degree of resolution, I feel her music is hugely important to others. I think Olsen writes music with an expressed desire to help others and make them feel less alone. Maybe I am over-reaching; one feels this artist who wants others to feel understood and take something very important away. Not every artist approaches music this way. Olsen knows how powerful music is and how helpful it can be to people going through some challenging times.

Although Olsen is based in America and might not have the same problems as E.U. artists will post-Brexit, it does seem like the political climate is impacting her fans. Everyone has an opinion regarding the changing political landscape and how it affecting our values and connection. People who were once joined and harmonious are split and balkanised. One cannot avoid politics and the developments regarding Brexit. Olsen has travelled to Europe and has a great affection for her fans there. She has noticed a change in the mood. I want to bring in another few questions from the GQ interview, where Olsen was asked about touring and politics:

“Do you enjoy the travel component of touring, or do you find yourself wishing you were home?

What I don't love is when I do a European tour and then two weeks later I go back to Europe. That is not cool. Like, Europe and I need to take a break from each other. Europe is a lot of different cultures and every day there’s a different story. That’s very humbling. You experience xenophobia everywhere in different forms wherever you go. You’re faced with being an American in the country we’re living in now.

I was talking to a friend today, when I was getting my hair done, [about] how when I go to Europe, it’s such a reminder that we’re still living in the ‘50s in a lot of ways. The world is actually not progressive. You end up missing the United States because there is at least the false sense of progressiveness, even though it’s not really true here either.

Everyone wants to talk about the President being this influencer who’s changing the way people think, but it’s also eye-opening to see how many people are still very, very conservative, and it’s really scary. That’s what I mean by missing [this] country, because it at least puts up a façade of progressiveness. But then we’re living in this time where that’s being pulled away. Young people are more active and more aware politically, but at the same time I’m also seeing young people becoming more and more conservative.

PHOTO CREDIT: Bobby Doherty

You see young people becoming more conservative in Europe, or in general?

In Europe I feel like it’s always been that people are very upfront about their racism and classism. Whereas here, I feel like people are starting to say it more.

Does that change the way you approach your music at all?

I hope that my songs are reaching people in a way that’s powerful because I want people to have an escape, even if it’s just for a couple minutes. For me, when I listen to music, it completely takes over my world. It’s my way of meditating”.

It is odd someone would feel more secure and safe in America when we consider Trump and his leadership, but Olsen is talking more about the mindset of the public in the U.S. In Europe, we have this feeling that we are moving forward and to something better and, in truth, we are heading backwards. I do wonder how Olsen’s European fans will be affected in the future. Even though they can still travel, one is not sure how artists are going to be impacted after Brexit on 31st October. Will she be able to travel freely and moving between countries without issue? I guess America does provide some stability, in the sense there are no upcoming changes that will impact the country in a huge way. She can travel across the U.S. like she has and, when speaking with people, there is not that delusion this big change is good and makes for a stronger country. Naturally, with Trump in power, hope is a far-off thing, but the people of America do not have to process something as divisive and destructive as Brexit. It is a bit of a sorry situation and it is troubling to think how the musical landscape will change very soon. I shall come to my review very soon but, before getting there, I want to introduce a new subject.

Angel Olsen’s music is pretty revealing and is unafraid to expose its wounds when needed. There is also a sense of hope and light when you hear the music. I do think there has been this big shift regarding mood and tone at the forefront. Listen to artists of the moment like Kate Tempest and Dave, and you have this very timely music that is looking at the state of the U.K. and the wider world; how people are being caught up in miasma; the struggles we all face and how things have gotten harder and tougher. It sounds rather bleak but, in its anger and honesty, there is a call for awareness and action. Rather than be all dread-like and doom-laden, these artists are talking about the importance of people, community and hope. We are going through something transformative and unprecedented right now, yet there is something positive when we cast aside our differences and pull together. Gone are the days of big Pop anthems and a music culture where artists tackled change and darker times with positive, emphatic music. Maybe that is just the way things are but, as I say, inside the music of today there is a humanity and sense of hope that we do not talk about. Even when one witnesses an album as emotionally raw and draining as Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ Ghosteen, you find a yearning and desire for better times. I think the best music of 2019 concerns political awareness and personal openness. Angel Olsen’s All Mirrors very much fits with the sound of today. She knows how important it is to be honest and discuss tougher themes; there is this overriding arc of strength that makes you feel like Olsen has emerged from the album a stronger and happier person – I hope so at least!

There is a great selection of tracks on All Mirrors, but I wanted to review Impasse. The song begins with a fade-in that has a degree of shimmer but there is also something quite intense. One gets a combination of Lana Del Rey and Bernard Herrmann in the song. There are background strings that do not encroach, yet there is a sense of drive and fever that affects the foreground. Olsen’s words are slowly projected and you get to feel every word. Her delivery is quite breathy but there is also a lot of emotion packed in. “Go ahead, tell your friends I was wrong/Take it all out on me/I’m too caught up to see/Everyone will believe…” are intriguing words and it makes me wonder what Olsen is referring to. It seems like Olsen is being cast as a villain or blamed for something that is not her fault. The truth of reality and how people interpret her; it seems they know what is best and what the truth is. Without revealing the origin of the story and what has provoked the song, the listener is free to interpret and bring to mind certain images. Given the sense of drama and tension in the composition, I was imagining Olsen, alone, as she looks through a window harassed and pummeled by rain. Maybe she is pondering something that has gone down or feeling like she is alone. Impasse seems like a song where two people have been sparring and conversing and cannot reach a compromise. It is like listening to a game of chess and seeing these moves being played; a sense that there will be no winner from this situation. I do love Olsen’s voice because there is this sleepy quality that is actually very powerful. One can feel a seductive, alluring quality that draws you in and a real weight in her delivery. The composition continues to provoke shivers as the strings contort and yowl. Other artists might put the strings higher in the mix and it would crowd the vocals and seem too intense.

PHOTO CREDIT: @cameronmcool

Instead, Olsen has this song that puts beauty and stillness at the front, but you have a very different sound in the background that gives the lyrics new context and life. The lyrics “You think this is what I wanted when I said/I’m just living in my head”. Maybe someone has abandoned Olsen or been aloof because they feel she is pushing them away or needs some space. It seems like Olsen has a lot on her mind and is getting tied up in her own thoughts. Rather than be alone and want everyone to go away, she does need that support and has been left to tackle things alone. That is the way I see the song, anyway. The more I listen, the more powerful Impasse becomes. When she delivers words of misunderstanding and living in her head, the composition rises and provides crescendo. There is a heavy beat and the strings become more enraptured. One cannot help but feel the hit of that emotional intensity and the power of the delivery. From a slightly breathy delivery, Olsen unleashes something inside her that was hidden or quieter. Impasse gets heavy like a wave and you are immersed in this hugely forceful song that does leave some questions. It is clear someone has wronged Olsen, but I wonder whether she is referring to a friend who has not been true or whether it is a lover who has not been supportive. Whatever the truth, Impasse is a fantastic song and one of the brightest gems from All Mirrors. It is clear Olsen is one of the most impressive and interesting songwriters around. If you have not heard All Mirrors, then I suggest you get onto it as it is filled with terrific and memorable songs.

There are European dates coming up next year, and we would have emerged from Brexit by then. I hope there are no problems regarding touring and getting between the nations. It will be interesting to differences between the mood now and what people feel like post-Brexit. I do think there will be negative changes but, actually, I do feel like there will not be too many challenges when it comes to movement and travel. Many people are already looking forward to these 2020 dates and, right now, there is so much love out there for Angel Olsen. She is this very rare artist that can appeal to everyone and does not have a façade. Olsen’s music is dreamy and beautiful; it holds great power and is very honest. In interviews and online, Olsen comes across as accessible and very tangible. A lot of artists can be quite standoffish and cold in interviews. Olsen is very warm and interesting, and she is going to be a huge star of the future. There are tour dates and commitments coming up, and I do think Olsen will get some big opportunities in 2020. There are big festivals like Glastonbury and Olsen will surely be a part of that conversation. I predict Olsen will release a fair few albums and get a lot of big tour dates. If All Mirrors was a way of processing things that happens after My Woman and how her life changed, it will be interesting to see what her next album sounds like. When reviewing artists like Angel Olsen, I sort of wonder what their lives are like away from the music. Olsen is a fascinating figure and is writing truly incredible music. I hope Olsen is more settled than she was in 2017 and that she is happy. It seems like music is a vital outlet and a way of making sense of, not only personal struggles, but what is happening in the wider world. Keep your eyes peeled on her social media channels and see where she is heading in the coming months. 2019 has been a terrific year for music and there have been some truly sensational albums. All Mirrors ranks alongside the very best and will definitely be in the year-end lists that celebrate the best albums. Olsen, truly, is a simply…