It’s a brave artist that chooses five iconic tracks from wildly different repertoires and gives them a substantial, modern makeover as they attempt to reinterpret them with a new perspective. Silently kiss me singer Angel Olsen was that artist and she definitely brought something new on all five of our favorites.
Of course, cover versions are nothing new, and when done well can yield spectacular results that can transfer a song’s popularity to an alternative song. Poisoned love, Song To The Siren, Nothing compares 2 U, Valerie and Hallelujah all of which are prime examples of songs that are now tied to the people who covered the song rather than the original artist.
One of Olsen’s selected songs is actually a cover. The opening song of Angel’s 5 songs EP is a remake of Laura Branigan dance flashmod Epic Gloria which is itself a cover of an original song by Italian artist Umberto Tozzi. The upbeat ’80s classic has been interpreted in a more somber tone by Angel Olsen as she slows down BPM entirely and takes the song into Angelo Badalementi territory with its soundtrack and soundtrack. Vocals are stretched and there are no high-energy pumping hands to get your adrenaline pumping. Angel Gloria is calming but not sedating, subtle but not superfluous and considered while not irritating. Olsen’s vocal blend with synths, strings and drum machine beats makes this cover work especially well. Olsen explained the inspiration for her choice in a recent statement by saying, “I’ve heard Gloria for the first time at a family gathering over Christmas and marveled at all the aunties who got up to dance. I imagined that they were all dancing and laughing in slow motion, and that’s when I got the idea to slow down the whole song and play it this way. “
Billy Idol’s 1984 single, Has eyes but no facefrom his 1983 album Rebel Yell, unaltered in character almost like Angle Olsen offers a more sentimental rendition of the song but with less posterity and a light-hearted feel that takes all that magic out of the original. There’s not a fingerless leather glove, a pout, or a crumbling guitar in sight but just a delicate and tender ballad without any history.
If you goOlsen’s cover of OMD, probably the one that’s still as energetic and as close to the original as any of her songs Way EP. The new version still matches the tempo of the early ’80s recording, and the harmonic arrangement isn’t a million miles away either, although, sadly, there’s no sax in the Olsen version. Alphaville’s Thanh Xuan forever wraps up the EP, with Angel Olsen delving to convey a convincing 1980s vocal back to Nena’s early days 99 LuftBallons. Olsen’s take on the 1984 track isn’t overly bombastic but it’s the retro arrangement and atmospheric ending that gives the production a fittingly nostalgic quality.
Where Way didn’t work quite well because of Angel Olsen’s adventurous interpretation of Safe dance of The Man Without a Hat. The oddity of the original was a departure from the norm at the time, and any attempt to deviate from that inspiring combination tended to be unsuccessful. This is a case of Olsen’s slower and darker interpretation. The infectious joy of the original version was replaced with something that carried the spirit and personality of the song.
About the EP Angel said, “I know in my history I haven’t really done anything unintentionally or just out of hell, but my connection to these songs is pretty simple. I just wanted to have fun. It’s just a little bit more fun and a little more spontaneous, and I think I need to remember that I can do it!” And for the most part, it was fun and maybe it wasn’t what we expected from it. All mirrors artist at the beginning of the year so this is spontaneity.
