Saturday, September 30, 2023

I Hear an Angel Singing: The Obscurantist Guide to Angel Olsen

      I’ve loved Angel Olsen’s music ever since I heard Burn Your Fire for No Witness  nearly ten years ago.   However, if someone had told me that her 2022 release “Big Time” was her version of a country soul record before I actually listened to it, I think I still would have been more than a little skeptical.   You know, it sounds like a pretentious chef on a sitcom describes doing an “Asian fusion take on chocolate chip pancakes”. But the album is absolutely exquisite - I had no clue just how much I needed an Angel Olsen country soul album. In my entranced state over the last year, I did a full dig into her eclectic catalog, including a lot of live versions and appearances on other artist’s albums.  However, I didn't include any of her work on Bonnie Prince Billy's albums from the early 2010s as it's mostly her on background vocals.  Enjoy!!


                                              Disc 1

Since You Broke My Heart

Angel Olsen

More Than This

Angel Olsen

My Last Date (With You)

Angel Olsen

You're Gonna Be Sorry

Angel Olsen

Forever Young

Angel Olsen

Stranger's Kiss

Alex Cameron(w/Angel Olsen)

Forgiven/Forgotten

Angel Olsen

Sweet Dreams

Angel Olsen

Never Be Mine

Angel Olsen

wildfire

Angel Olsen

Greenville

Angel Olsen

Winter

Angel Olsen

Oblivion

Chivalrous Amoekons

Heartstruck (Wild Hunger)

Hamilton Leithauser and Angel Olsen

Who's Sorry Now

Angel Olsen

Right Now

Angel Olsen

                                              Disc 2

Walls

Angel Olsen (and Hand Habits)

One Too Many Mornings

Angel Olsen

True Blue

Mark Ronson w/Angel Olsen

All Mirrors

Angel Olsen

Fly On Your Wall

Angel Olsen

Mr. Lonely

Angel Olsen & Emile Mosseri

Drunk and with Dreams

Angel Olsen

Halfway To Paradise

Angel Olsen

Cold Blooded Old Times

Angel Olsen

Sidetracked In Miami

Tim Kinsella (w/Angel Olsen)

Free

Angel Olsen

The Blacksmith

Angel Olsen

Something on Your Mind

Angel Olsen

My Reverie

Angel Olsen

Nothing's Free

Angel Olsen

Alive and Dying (Waving, Smiling)

Angel Olsen

 


5 comments:

Berni said...

She hasn't been on my radar so this looks interesting. Thanks!

Crab Devil said...

I don't know her work at all, but I look forward to checking this collection out.

Anonymous said...

Greetings! I've been following your posts for two or so years now... found myself with extra time to devote to the blogosphere what with the closing of BigO last month. Went through your mixes back to 2009 this weekend. Thx for all your hard work. There are some doozies in there. Downloaded a bunch of zip files that'll keep me busy. For many that I loved, the link was dead (understandable given that half a generation has passed!). Hopefully some day when I get through this mega load that I have downloaded I could make some requests for re-ups?
Thx again for all you do.

Ishkabibliophile said...

@Berni and Crab Devil,

The compilation is a little heavier on her indie folk (for lack of a better term) than her overall output. So if it's a little too mellow for your tastes, definitely start with Burn Your Fire for No Witness and My Woman.

best,
Ish

Ishkabibliophile said...

@anonymous,

Happy to take re-up requests, though I won't re-up an out of print cd that's been reissued.

best,
Ish