Big Time, Angel Olsen (8/10)

Ok so a ton of new music came out on Friday that I listened to but didn't get the chance to review cuz I was leaving for camping. This was another one of my most anticipated albums of 2022, and I think it is my favorite album of 2022 so far (and is a good candidate for my album of the year). The story behind the album is devastating. So Angel started dating this hottie they/them named Beau (a win for every lesbian ever). She came out to her parents and then both of her parents died right before as she was starting to work on this album. Crazy fucking shit. But this album holds all of it so well - love, grief, depression, and more love. I've been an Angel fan for a really long time but this might just be my favorite album of hers yet. It's a bit more country than her other stuff, and I don't really love country, but I love almost every song on this album. The lyrics are so fucking good. On "All the Flowers," she writes, "I've been spending too much time / Searching in vain, to find / The only reason / The only reason / To be alive." 😭 On "Right Now" (maybe my favorite track), she writes, "I need to be myself / I won't live another lie / About the feelings that I have / I won't be with you and hide / Why'd you have to go and make it weird / Saying things you think I need to hear." 😭😭😭😭😭 And her voice on it too. Fuck. And the last song, "Chasing the Sun" is so so beautiful. She also co-wrote a bunch of the songs with Beau. Uhg. This album has wrecked me. Angel turning gay is the best thing that has ever happened. Favorite tracks: All the Good Times, Big Time, Ghost On, Right Now