Buy Now
| Buy on |
|
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
-
Nov 10, 2017With its plaintive lyrics, Phases further shows that Olsen, like those venerable musicians, is a persistent truth teller, an authentic voice no matter what style she’s working in.
-
Nov 16, 2017Many of the tracks vary to such a degree that those not acquainted with Olsen would be forgiven for thinking they were not by the same artist, yet to those who appreciate her work, the artist’s strong narrative ties the collection together.
-
Nov 15, 2017As a crucial companion piece to her LPs proper, Phases achieves the rare distinction of must-have odds-and-ends album.
-
Nov 13, 2017A series of alternate takes, compilation tracks and previously unreleased songs that hail, aesthetically, from the Burn Your Fire and before era. Which is to say, they are pared back, emotionally lacerating and carried by Olsen’s eerie country soprano, which wobbles and flutters in a high lonesome style somewhere between Patsy Cline and Roy Orbison.
-
Nov 9, 2017Unlike the limitations that come with a tight studio album, each Phases track has space to fulfil its own purpose. The tracks sway about a bit, and, in doing so, make for a vast and emotionally compelling collection of songs.
-
Nov 9, 2017Here, she moves through songs about love and life that, whether because of the cavernous, sometimes tinny production or her timeless songwriting style (and often, both), feel channelled from some ghostly past where musical arrangement was simpler but emotions weren't.
-
Nov 9, 2017Phases is a deeply autumnal album, perfectly for listening to while strolling down dimly lit side streets with crisp leaves underfoot.
-
Nov 9, 2017Phases nevertheless reaffirms its singer’s preeminence in the current milieu of indie rock. Pulling from material as recent as January and as early as 2010, the album aggregates Olsen’s previously unreleased work into a collection that vacillates between retrospection and contemporariness.
-
Nov 10, 2017Phases isn’t as cohesive as her previous albums but, terrific and revelatory in its own right, it feels like a link between them, a trail of dropped clues to the creative process of the defiantly mercurial Olsen.
-
Nov 9, 2017If Phases proves anything, it’s that Olsen’s discards are better than a lot of artists’ best efforts. Like her name suggests, she seems otherworldly, celestial--her impressive consistency and ability to transcend genre and era with seeming ease, nothing short of divine.
-
Jan 10, 2018For fans of Half Way Home, Phases might be a welcome reminder that Olsen still has her lo-fi sensibilities intact. Fans who flocked to Olsen in the last couple years though won't find a lot to hold their attention, especially when listening to the album front to back. Despite this, there are gems galore to be found on the album, some of which could go head-to-head with the best of Olsen's work.
-
MagnetDec 22, 2017What Phases lacks in structural coherence it makes up for in the stirring depth of the individual performances. These are worthy outliers. [No. 149, p.61]
-
UncutNov 16, 2017Less, often, is more. The home demos of "sans" is powerfully raw. [Jan 2018, p.39]
-
Nov 14, 2017Phases is a useful entry into Olsen's back catalogue with heavy stress on the 'back'. For those new to her work, this is a good introduction to her older work, and moreover, yet another example of her incredible talent as a storyteller and composer.
-
Nov 10, 2017Olsen locates every last ounce of heartache within the song’s tale of someone who’s trapped between wanderlust and homesickness. If these are the leftovers, it’s fun to imagine how tasty Angel Olsen’s next main course will be.
-
Nov 9, 2017While likely of interest mostly to dedicated fans due to the eclectic nature of the recordings, it may also pique the curiosity of those less familiar with Olsen's growing, distinctive catalog.
-
Nov 9, 2017For first-time listeners the distinctly compilation nature of the record could prove disorientating and less rewarding a listen than any of Olsen’s singular, more complete albums. But that’s generally the case in any rarities album. For fans of Olsen's work this is a treasure trove of lesser known recordings that capture the artist in a period in which her sound was ever-evolving and progressing.
User score distribution:
-
Positive: 23 out of 30
-
Mixed: 5 out of 30
-
Negative: 2 out of 30
-
Aug 25, 2022What Phases lacks in structural coherence it makes up for in the stirring depth of the individual performances. These are worthy outliers
-
Jan 4, 2018Really excellent insight into Olsen's creative process. Love the collection here. Bravo!
-
Dec 3, 2017