WORDS / ANDREW MCCLAIN

One week ago, Pitchfork.com gave Angel Olsen’s new record, Burn Your Fire for No Witness an impressive rating (8.3) alongside the coveted designation of “Best New Music.” Last night, Olsen and her band played to a full house at JR’s Lightbulb Club, selling 100 advance tickets. The degree of connection between these two impressive figures is probably debatable, but it’s worth noting. Olsen, who recently signed to Jagjaguwar Records (home of Bon Iver and other indie/pop crossover heavyweights) is a relatively fresh face in this particular league of artists, despite a few years of touring with Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billie.

The new record is produced by John Congleton, (St. Vincent, Wye Oak) whose touch is evident as Olsen carries her songwriting from haunting lo-fi folk into a buzzing, agitated alt-country record. Olsen’s voice has the delicate country vibrato of Emmylou Harris, but she makes it peak against and cut through the noise of a full band. The effect is striking on the record, and even more so in concert.

SW/MM/NG played first, then Olsen’s opener, Cian Nugent, an Irish guitar player who was excellent, if a little low-energy for the full house. Olsen opened with the album’s single, “Hi-Five” (“Are you lonely too? / hi-five, so am I,” she sings, matter-of-factly) and throughout the course of the set, nearly all of the record. Olsen, a Missouri native, mentioned between songs that she spent a few summers in Northwest Arkansas and had memories of exploring caves in the area.

Olsen had to deal with a couple of clever gentlemen shouting “I WANT YOUR BABIES” at her. She barely reacted – “Did someone say they were gonna buy me tacos?”

After the band finished their set, Olsen closed out the show by playing a few tunes solo, including the haunting “White Fire.”

It was a great show, and a prize booking for JR’s. Here’s hoping for more in the near future.

VISIT: AngelOlsen.com

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