by Ali C (@ali314159265358)
Angel Olsen needs no introduction at this point. She has been releasing music for over a decade, including three albums since 2019 on the Jagjaguwar record label that have exhibited her musicianship and songwriting prowess.
The Aisles EP, on the other hand, finds Olsen journeying away from her usual songwriting and into the world of covers. Specifically, it features covers of songs from the 1980s: everyone’s favorite mullet and big sleeve decade. Everything from the songs chosen to cover art—which features Olsen sporting a mullet and bright blue eyeshadow—oozes 80s nostalgia.
While Olsen has said that her connection to these songs is “pretty straightforward” and she mainly made this album because she “just wanted to have a little fun and be a little more spontaneous,” you can tell a lot of effort and thought was put into the songs and the album as a whole.
The EP starts off with a cover of Laura Branigan’s “Gloria.” The quintessential 80s song works perfectly with Olsen’s style and vocal range. The song features a cacophony of synths and strings, a theme that will continue throughout the whole album. Fans of the original will also notice the slowed-down pace, which allows for additional musical flourishes and solos.
Next is “Eyes Without A Face,” which expands on the musical themes laid out in the first song. The vocal harmonies add a stellar dimension to contrast the synthetic backing instruments and auto-tune is strategically deployed at points. This is one that begs to be listened to on a Walkman instead of an iPhone. Arguably the biggest surprise song on here is “Safety Dance.” This is another one that is slowed down and spaced out. The result is a shockingly chilling version of the pop classic with bursts of auto-tune for the vocals that add to the dissonance of the track.
The penultimate, “If You Leave,” presents Olsen singing in a higher range than the rest of the album. The tempo is also faster and the drums echo bigger, though they are used sparsely to fit with the song. The synthetic melody breakdown at the end is a good choice with the thickness of the production and leads nicely into the final track on the album, “Forever Young.” The Alphaville classic is the perfect end to this album of whimsical fancy. We hear the vocals up front much more than the past four songs and they mirror the original version by Alphaville nicely, yet the distortion brings this one into the modern world.
It’s clear from listening that Olsen succeeds in the mission of having fun and being spontaneous while also leaving her lasting mark on these songs and the 1980s nostalgia train. The lyrical themes that emanate throughout match nicely with the vocal distortion to make the songs feel like a tilted, melodic dream.