8/10

Since the release of her highly-praised 2020 full-length 'Whole New Mess', Angel Olsen has been on an extremely emotionally and transformative journey. In April last year, she announced to the world that she was gay, which would have been enough to bring a new side to her story so far. But sadly her father died only a few days later, and before the end of 2021, her mother would join him. Since then she has found herself looking for comfort and solace within her work, so has rediscovered her country roots on her sixth studio album 'Big Time', a record that harks for a new beginning throughout.

While the country sound is something she has dabbled in before, it is almost perfectly engineered to resonate the heartfelt turmoil she has endured these last few years. Yet despite coming through such a difficult time in her life, 'Big Time' still manages to harness all of the warm and embracing textures she has always been able to conjure up. Even if you weren't aware of the context in which this record was written, it would still deliver a broad and compassionate array of luxurious songwriting, something that feels like she has perfected over the years and spun into this vibrant web of emotions.

It may not have much of the same Angel Olsen sound we have come accustom to of late, but 'Big Time' is a strong and powerful step forward for her. Her personal life may have struggled recently, but she is reemerging as a bold and confident artist ready to shed her soul once again.