My Woman (stylized as MY WOMAN) is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Angel Olsen, released on September 2, 2016, by Jagjaguwar Records. Produced by Olsen and Justin Raisen, the album was accompanied by music videos for the tracks, "Intern", "Shut Up Kiss Me", and "Sister" all co-directed or directed by Olsen.
Production Recording My Woman was recorded at Vox Studios in Los Angeles with producer Justin Raisen.Ravens, Chal. Angel Olsen announces third album MY WOMAN, North America and Europe tour. Fact. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016. The album was structured as sides of a vinyl record: "On one side, it’s as if you were having an upbeat day and wanted to try something a little hectic. But then, if you feel like things were slowing down and you wanted to be more reflective, then you listen to Side B." With regard to the album's themes, Olsen said that My Woman addresses "the complicated mess of being a woman."Brodsky, Rachel. Angel Olsen Confirms New Album, ‘My Woman,’ Due This Fall. Spin. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
Music My Woman was Olsen's attempt to expand her musical style after 2014's Burn Your Fire for No Witness, with emphasis on avoiding being typecast as a lo-fi indie artist. With what she called a "plurality of voices," Olsen "wanted to use [her] vocal more and sing in the styles that [she] liked."
Compared to Olsen's previous album, My Woman contains a poppier, more diverse sound. Musical genres and musicians that influenced the album includes Fleetwood Mac, The Shirelles, Crazy Horse, 1970s glam rock, 1960s country pop and grunge.Todd, Bella. Angel Olsen: indie's dark star tackles 'the complicated mess of being a woman'. The Guardian. 29 August 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016. The album's opening track, "Intern," is a synthpop song that was considered to be a major departure from Olsen's previous works. Written as an experiment to "fuck with people," Olsen said of "Intern," "I have some friends who make synth music and I thought it might be fun to do something sarcastic."Darville, Jordan. Angel Olsen Goes Synth-Pop In New Song/Video "Intern". The Fader. 1 June 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016. Critics have compared "Never Be Mine" to 1960s jangle pop and Portuguese guitar music. The album's closer, "Pops," is a piano ballad.
Promotion
Singles The first single from the album, "Intern," was released on June 1, 2016. A music video directed by Olsen was released the same day.Claymore, Gabriela. Angel Olsen – "Intern" Video. Stereogum. 1 June 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016. On June 6, 2016, My Woman was announced.Breihan, Tom. Angel Olsen My Woman Details. Stereogum. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016. The second single from the album, "Shut Up Kiss Me," along with an accompanying Olsen-directed music video, was released on June 29.Breihan, Tom. Angel Olsen – "Shut Up Kiss Me" Video. Stereogum. 29 June 016. Retrieved 25 September 2016. It charted on the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs chart for six weeks, peaking at position 22. The third single from the album, "Sister," along with an accompanying Olsen directed music video, was released on August 24.Rettig, James. Angel Olsen – "Sister" Video. Stereogum. 24 August 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
Critical reception
My Woman received widespread acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, the album received an average score of 87 based on 30 professional reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".
Pitchforks Jenn Pelly gave the album a Best New Music designation, writing "Angel Olsen's latest is her best record yet, a bracing mix of sounds and styles congealing around songs of pain, sadness, and hope." Matt Williams of The A.V. Club gave the album a grade of A−, writing "When Olsen broke through with...Burn Your Fire For No Witness...she was quickly pigeonholed as the Sad Girl...With My Woman, Olsen obliterates that narrow perception, raising the bar on her own multifaceted output and building new aspects of her artistic identity in the process." PopMatters' Colin Fitzgerald called My Woman "a new watermark for Olsen" that "elaborates on the disparate missions of both Half Way Home and Burn Your Fire for No Witness while reaching out into the unfamiliar spaces of dreamy synthpop and more hook-driven, pop-oriented songwriting." Fitzgerald added "most remarkable thing about My Woman is that it all coheres (far better than Burn Your Fire for No Witness, as great as it was, ever did) into an expansive, all-encompassing vision."Fitzgerald, Colin. Angel Olsen: My Woman. Popmatters. 2 September 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016. Record Collector gave the album a mixed review, writing "My Woman is an odd, somewhat mismatched collection of good and then great songs that could have been more ghostly. When played simplest, or with the least traditional band structure buffeting them, they’re at their best – but it’s sadly not a constant."Kennedy, Jake. Angel Olsen - My Woman. Record Collector. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
In November 2016, UK record chain HMV named My Woman as its album of the year, calling it "an intuitively smart, warmly communicative and fearlessly generous record".
Accolades Publication Accolade Year Rank The A.V. Club The A.V. Club's Top 50 Albums of 2016 2016 Billboard Billboard's 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016 Entertainment Weekly The 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016 Gothamist The Best Albums of 2016 2016 The Guardian The Best Albums of 2016 2016 Mojo The 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016 NME NME's Albums of the Year 2016 2016 NPR Music Best 50 Albums of 2016 2016 Paste The 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016 Pitchfork The 20 Best Rock Albums of 2016 2016 Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016 Red Bull Red Bull's 25 Best Albums of 2016 2016 Rolling Stone 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016 Rough Trade Albums of the Year 2016 The Skinny Top 50 Albums of 2016 2016 Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016 Time The Top 10 Best Albums of 2016 2016
Track listing
Charts Chart (2016–17) Peak position New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ) 1
Personnel Angel Olsen – vocals, inside photo, production Chris Allgood – assistant Stewart Bronaugh – main personnel Collin Dupuis – mixing Emily Elhaj – main personnel Michael Harris – engineering Joshua Jaeger – main personnel Miles Johnson – design Seth Kauffman – main personnel Emily Lazar – mastering Amanda Marsalis – cover photo, inside photo Lisa Nance – cover painting Justin Raisen – engineering, main personnel, production Lawrence Rothman – additional production
References