Special - Angel Olsen

Yo yo yo, 'bout to get real chill. Angel Olsen is pretty awesome, and I wish she was more recognized for her efforts, not in the sense that she as a person should be more popular but that her music should be shone in a brighter light, because this is some good shit that pop music cannot handle. It is not to say that pop music is automatically bad, but it is normally trivial and unimpressionable, more in the vein of hedonism (instant pleasure) rather than long-term gratification that can be explored, analyzed and poignant. I am not saying that Angel Olsen's music is the poster child for good, alternative/indie music but it's an example of what is most dope, especially with the newly released single "Special." 

"Special" is the new single off of Angel Olsen's Phases that will be out on November 10th of this year, and is just a cool ass jam. I wish I lived in a warm climate like SoCal (a dream) because this song would is perfect for so many things but having to do with being outdoors, and it's just too chilly in the North East to be chilling comfortably outside. I would of loved if this song came out in in the Summer or Spring, but beggars can't be choosers, and I know I'll be listening to this here tune until summer anyhow, because it's soooooo freaking nice. 

The premise here is just yearning to be special to someone, and to just be wanted and loved, "want to be special, like your mother/want to be someone else, not me, but another." However, she's "just a balloon, far away I see you," that she's out of focus and unable to be special...because she's a balloon, but at the very least she wants to be recognized, "tell me, I'm nothing, nothing." The lyrics are actually pretty cool and interesting in this little narrative, but what really is interesting is the lack of chorus. The only repetition within the song is the refrain "want to be special, like your mother/want to be someone else, not me, but another," which occurs just twice, and such a notion is a great outline for a folk or jam song, which "Special" is, a jam song. 

The consistency, reiteration or resolve (whatever you want to call it) in any song is normally in the vocals, but in "Special" it is apparent in the instrumentals, which is really the focus in the song, due to Olsen's soft and slow cadence of vocals that make her lyrics sometimes indecipherable but sounds vibey as fuck. Like others within the similar realm of dream pop, the style of singing is just to keep the chill mood counteractive with the instruments, especially the guitar. That may be true in this case but Angel Olsen kick it up a notch and the way the instruments all play with each other reminds me of an early 70's jam session; it's groovy as fuck. A jam session occurs regularly in the song after Olsen's lyrics come to a small halt, just after a series of verses (stanza or bars), and the guitars, bass, and drums decide to step up. Especially, when Olsen's vocals end just before the six-minute mark and a final and electric jam ensues to carry the song, and it's message of longing to remove personal transparency, home.        

Let me tell you something, Angel Olsen is maaaaaad good, and you should not only replay this song over and over but you need to check out Phases when it comes out and her prior endeavors (if you haven't already) like "Windows," "Sister," "Pops," "Shut Up Kiss Me," or just anything honestly, it's all good.