Concert Review: Angel Olsen Sings For Those With “Attitude” At Town Hall NYC

Angel Olsen has “attitude problems”; her declaration, not mine. As she smiled and marveled at “the sitting crowd”, her gold, jumpsuit reflected how she felt; happy and out of this world. As she would say, the “strange” dynamic of playing the seated room of Town Hall was making her sober. I state this feeling because it is one that derives both her music and crowd; we are the prickled daisies of the field that are beautiful in nature, but do not like to be plucked. Why? Because beauty, inside and out, should not be messed with!
Angel Olsen – Special (Official Video)

There is something both intriguing and distancing to Olsen. She approaches life like one would a liquor cabinet; we open it up, scope out our choices, and decide what drink will make us feel looser about our situations. SIMPLE AND INTOXICATING! Like her last albums, My Woman and Phases, you could not help but feel like her show was a confirmation of something we all know; Angel Olsen is a bad ass. It is in this fact the you feel distanced from her; we cannot all say we are “bad” enough to be so good. She has a dry, razoring wit that could cut those of lesser intellect, but she is also brazenly aware of the crowd and has no qualms making a connection with individuals like one would a friend. As in songs, “Shut Up, Kiss Me”, “Not Gonna Kill You”, or “Woman”, Olsen sings for those that feel like they are falling through life. From falling in love to falling out of grace, each song carried different themes, of which she would hit a high, yelping note to drive that “fallen” feel.
Angel Olsen – Shut Up Kiss Me (Official Video)

There were moments when Olsen did not need to sing a verse as much as a vocal to express the frustration of feeling like misplaced gold in this world. From “Never Be Mine” to “Sister” , she sings to the moments when you knew you were better, but somehow you were to enough. Either for yourself or someone/ something else, you felt forbidden to be fulfilled even though you were good. The irony is that, for such depth, Olsen is a playful character. The band/ set looked like a 1950’s doo-wop orchestra, of which glittered sheets and melodies glistened to make you want to slow dance centerstage. The show brought out within Angel Olsen the hints of romance and country-folk inspiration, such as Woody Guthrie and Patsy Cline, that make her music mesh the monotony of living with the moonlight; giving everything you think boring of life, suddenly, have a twinkle. For More Information On Angel Olsen Click Here.
Angel Olsen – Sister (Official Video)