Whole new mess

"Managing to be uniquely stylized and engrossing while stripped bare, Whole New Mess not only works in isolation, it deserves equal footing in Olsen's discography".

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"Now we've had almost a year to digest `All Mirrors', here come the heart-worn originals, which see Olsen returning to the ragged, lo-fi feel of her early recordings, and with it a different kind of intimacy. Her first proper solo release since her 2012 debut `Half Way Home' - with no backing band nor swish production - `Whole New Mess' is the undiluted sound of Olsen not just baring her soul, but taking those first steps in figuring out how to feel better".

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"Recorded in Anacortes, Washington, the stark original version of the songwriter's 2019 album All Mirrors makes the experience of solitude sound metaphysical. The songs are spare, but still feel electric ... The transformation that these piercing songs undergo between All Mirrors and Whole New Mess echoes a fact of Olsen's work that grows truer with each release: she has become a voice of possibility, one ever in flux".

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"Now we've had almost a year to digest `All Mirrors', here come the heart-worn originals, which see Olsen returning to the ragged, lo-fi feel of her early recordings, and with it a different kind of intimacy. Her first proper solo release since her 2012 debut `Half Way Home' - with no backing band nor swish production - `Whole New Mess' is the undiluted sound of Olsen not just baring her soul, but taking those first steps in figuring out how to feel better".

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"Managing to be uniquely stylized and engrossing while stripped bare, Whole New Mess not only works in isolation, it deserves equal footing in Olsen's discography".

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"Recorded in Anacortes, Washington, the stark original version of the songwriter's 2019 album All Mirrors makes the experience of solitude sound metaphysical. The songs are spare, but still feel electric ... The transformation that these piercing songs undergo between All Mirrors and Whole New Mess echoes a fact of Olsen's work that grows truer with each release: she has become a voice of possibility, one ever in flux".

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"Man kan dårligt kalde 'Whole New Mess' et egentligt nyt album fra Angel Olsen. Udgivelsen rummer enkelte nye sange (...) men majoriteten er tidlige, skeletale udgaver af sange, vi har hørt i stormfulde, pompøse versioner på det kritikerhyldede 'All Mirrors' fra 2019. At tænde op under 'Whole New Mess' er derfor en udpræget deja vu-fornemmelse, en slags ledsageværk til sidste års album ... jeg [får] flere steder på 'Whole New Mess' en næsten ubændig lyst til bare at sætte de fuldt påklædte sange på og mærke højtrykket og dramaet fra højtalerne igen. Men for folk, der ikke har hørt moderalbummet, kan 'Whole New Mess' formentlig sagtens overbevise som en samling smukt hjerteblødende breakup-sange".

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"Angel Olsen har med 'Whole New Mess' udsendt de oprindelige indspilninger bag det berømmede album 'All Mirrors'. Nu er der to gode plader i stedet for en ... 'All Mirrors' og det nye album 'Whole New Mess' er to udgivelser, der udspringer fra samme kilde. Næsten identiske og alligevel meget forskellige. På nær to er sangene de samme i lidt forskellige udgaver. At kalde 'Whole New Mess' for demoversionerne af 'All Mirrors' er ikke helt forkert, men heller ikke dækkende ... Uden den store produktion fremstår Angel Olsens udtryk kun akkompagneret af hendes egen spartansk knitrende og klimprende guitar naturligt nok endnu mere nøgent og personligt".

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