“I want to show you” croons Angel Olsen in “Sister”—and that is exactly what she does. Olsen displays a new side of her in “MY WOMAN.” Being a more experimental album, full of sultry and soulful ballads that evoke raw emotion, she unequivocally allows us to delve deep into the depths of her inner most thoughts. Olsen intentionally shifts gears a bit to a more pop sound, but still does not stray too far from her usual folky sound—her distinctive, twangy vocals drive the entire record. This ultimately creates a cohesive dichotomy of the two genres that just oozes bluesy opulence. Even though Olsen has never been afraid of completely opening herself through her music, she pushes the envelope, with more complexity and control resulting in a unique, gut-wrenching record.
The album opens with “Intern,” a synth-pop song that is a complete departure from the remainder of the album as if to trick her listeners. The most illustrative lyrics read “doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done/still gotta wake up and be someone.” The next track, “Never Be Mine”—I just feel like this is what Lana Del Ray wishes she could do.
“Shut Up Kiss Me” is my favorite song off the album (and is super easy to play on guitar). In her video she wears a silver tinseled wig and becomes a sort of character—pretty much a David Bowie-Ziggy Stardust kind of thing. With her ostensible bravado she opens the song with “I ain’t hanging up this time/I ain’t giving up tonight” leading into a just as powerful chorus “shut up, kiss me/hold me tight/stop your crying/it’s all alright.” She does this all while standing in a convertible and roller skating in an empty skating rink filled with pastel balloons, intentionally showing more levity than she has in the past.
After these three mellow tunes, the record transitions to a more guitar heavy sound with “Give It Up.” The opening chords totally sound like the beginning of Nirvana’s acoustic “About a Girl,” so it’s basically a guitar heavy sound mixed with an Everly Brothers vibe. In the second verse, she admits “and every time I see you/I tell myself I’ll never have this feeling with another/oh, you’re in my heart forever.”
The last few tracks have a dreamy vibe and atmospheric timbre, such as the nostalgic and R&B-esque “Those Were the Times.” Clearly alluding a previous relationship, she sings in a soft whisper, “do you remember the way that it used to be/I waited for you/you kept on searching with me/feeling free.” In the languid “Woman” she challenges us “to understand/what makes me a woman”—going along with the stark themes of femininity and control that are nuanced through the entire album. These songs are far more striped down and minimalist in tone, but are overtly introspective and show the depth of Olsen’s lyrical candor. “Pops” is a perfect end to the album. Olsen has never done a song with piano as the primary instrument and as like the entire album, it just works.