Album Review: Angel Olson, My Woman

My Woman, Angel Olsen’s third studio album, is astonishing. Continuing on the path led by 2014’s Burn Your Fire For No Witness, My Woman is a full-band album. A definite departure from Olsen’s acoustic-folk beginnings, this is the sound of a songwriter liberated. In fact the only appearance from an acoustic guitar is heard on the melodically brilliant ’60s girl band-esque ‘Never Be Mine’.

It’s clear that ditching her wounded folk songstress image is high on the American’s agenda. She recently told her publicist that she’s refusing to do any more photo shoots surrounded by trees, and her latest video for the demandingly catchy ‘Shut Up Kiss Me’ finds her donning a silver-tinsel wig and rollerblading. She’s keen to bid farewell to her sparse country-tinged origins, and rather than coming across as contrived or try-hard, she makes the transition exceptionally well.

As for the songs themselves, Olsen’s knack for melody and lyrical twists is as strong as ever. My Woman, as the title suggests, explores themes of femininity and the complexities of being a woman, and this is manifested gracefully throughout the entire record. ‘Woman’ and ‘Sister’ are two stand-out examples, but there isn’t a dud moment on the album. Instrumentally the songs weave between electric guitar, shimmering strings, slick drums and the density of a mellotron on ‘Intern’, but it’s Olsen’s lush vocal delivery that really sets it apart. Flickering flawlessly between strength and vulnerability, My Woman is a gorgeous, feminine album.