Angel Olsen – All Mirrors

All Mirrors is the fourth album by American singer and songwriter Angel Olsen, and it is important to note that this album is not just Olsen. For this record, she recruits the help of a small orchestra, with instruments like violins, cellos, violas and trombones to help give her backing throughout the record. The opening track ‘Lark’ is a spectacular opener, using the orchestra and Olsen’s voice to build suspense until the track reaches a spectacular climax. There is nothing about this record that feels rushed, and no song feels like it’s simply been added to help extend the run time or make enough tracks for an album. They’re all very independent as tracks that make their own statements and impact upon you as a listener, yet they are also very interconnected and create a beautiful experience. This album is mostly slow, stripped back and melancholic, but it is a great testament to the ability of Olsen that it never feels stale, too slow or tiring. It differs greatly to her previous work, but Olsen has a great way of reinventing herself with every new album, and this is by far her most impressive album to date. The use of synthesisers alongside an orchestra create a perfect blend of classical and electronic sounds, which help to emphasise Olsen’s voice whilst also being very beautiful and at times moving. The track ‘Spring’ is one of the tracks that stands out on this album and that is impressive given the level that each song on this album is on. It has amazing vocals and instrumentation, and provides a great change of pace for the record. The other songs that seem to be worthy of individual note are the tracks ‘Endgame’ and ‘Chance,’ which close the album in that order. They are both haunting and ‘Chance’ especially will stick with you for many days after listening. All Mirrors is an album which is nearly perfect in how it comes together. The vocals are by far the greatest part of this record, however they are only as poignant and incredible thanks to the great lyrics that Olsen provides alongside the superb instrumentation. This album is one of the greatest I have heard this year, and I feel will be a record we look back on with great respect for a long time to come.