Track of the Day: Angel Olsen “Lark” (2019)

We have the second single from Angel Olsen‘s upcoming album All Mirrors which is due out early October. Accompanying it is one of the most striking videos of the year. The song “Lark” is a deeply honest examination of a failed relationship.

It starts gently, and sets up the song with the opening couple of lines “To forget you is too hard, There’s  still so much left to recover”. Feelings such as the struggle to keep a relationship going, the difficulties in facing up to the end of one, and wondering how it could all have been averted are broached. The song builds sonically, with Olsens vocals soaring, accompanied by an 11-piece string section. It links the places they have lived with the failure of the relationship. It talks of regret, is vulnerable yet finishes with defiance. Swirling drums, soaring strings and synth drones build and build, into a dark climax.

The accompanying video is rich in texture and as bold and dark as the song. It is gloriously cinematic.

On the song, Olsen says “‘Lark’ is a song that took many years to finish. The disjointed feelings and verses of this song began to make sense as a way for me to exercise a kind of journey through grieving, a kind of personal struggle. The message of the song developed at first from an argument I once had with someone about trust and support. Later, I pulled from recurring themes in my life as a musician and as a human that dreams for a living. It’s easy to promise the world to those we love, but what about when our dreams change and values split?

The track features Joshua Jaeger on drums, with Ben Babbitt on guitar, bass and synth drones. The video was shot and directed by Ashley Connor.

 

You can find more news on Angel on her Facebook, Instagram, Website, YouTube and Twitter

Bruce Baker

Probably riding my bike, taking photos and/or at a gig. Insta: @bruce_a_baker