Angel Olsen’s Strange Cacti

This 2011 EP was the first of Olsen's releases. Though it is fairly short, consisting of six songs, it is more than monumental. To me, this is the most impactful of her works; the melodies still follow me to this day.

Strange Cacti Cover, Spotify

“Tiniest Lights"

This EP opens with an intimate musical arrangement, allowing listeners to feel the emotional weight of her art. Her voice is a chamber I want to lie in forever. It is anguish, yet comforting in a way. Her echo is sad, so sad; this song hurts to listen to. Despite the internal turmoil it ignites, you can't seem to stop yourself from going back for more... you little masochist.

“If it's Alive, it Will"

As of late, this song has been one of my favorites from this EP. Something about it has been resonating with me. She sings of life’s confliction. Our feelings and our pain are not personal; strangers have most likely felt the exact same thing. “I used to think I was the only one." In reality, we are never truly isolated, even if we feel like we are. Others’ experiences often parallel our own. This realization can be both comforting and disorienting.

“So that We Can Be Still"

This song refers to the complexities of time. She acknowledges that it is fleeting; almost as if it does not want to exist. It both carries us and leaves us behind. “Must all of my memories drown into infinity?” The longing for a moment of peace in life’s constant upheaval; moreover, to hope that our existence means something is one we all have felt.

“Drunk and with Dreams"

It opens with delicate arpeggios that have a whisper of a smile ghosting my face. The instrumentation does not overwhelm, but instead invites the listener to appreciate her rawness. In my opinion, her vocal cracks make the song that much better. I revel in her imperfections, because they are so beautiful.

“Some things Cosmic"

In this song, Angel tackles love on a metaphysical level. She longs for a love that is transcendent; one that goes beyond physicality and reaches emotional nakedness. A huge part of love is the longing for vulnerability. We desire to be seen without barriers, to be stripped bare and wanted anyways. These moments between her and the beloved are outside of their existence. In such a relationship, the self dissolves into something greater- something cosmic.

“Creator, Destroyer"

When I first heard this song, its knife pierced my heart so deeply, that I am still reeling in its aftermath. Angel brings a sweet sort of pain with her melancholic voice. It's like when you press on a day-old bruise. An ache that almost feels good. “Creator, you destroy me. You know my hunger well. And yet you starve me- until I'm begging on my knees." I will forever be haunted by this song, and I would not want it any other way. It goes beyond resonation, and nothing I could write about it would capture even an ounce of this song's impeccable essence.