Whole New Mess

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Whole New Mess
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Studio album by
Angel Olsen
ReleasedAugust 28, 2020 (2020-08-28)
RecordedOctober 2018
StudioThe Unknown, Anacortes, Washington
GenreIndie rock,[1] indie folk[2]
Length42:05
LabelJagjaguwar
Producer
  • Angel Olsen
  • Michael Harris
Angel Olsen chronology
All Mirrors
(2019) 		Whole New Mess
(2020) 		Big Time
(2022)
Singles from Whole New Mess
  1. "Whole New Mess"
    Released: July 28, 2020
  2. "Waving, Smiling"
    Released: August 18, 2020

Whole New Mess is a re-recording album by American singer-songwriter Angel Olsen, released on August 28, 2020 on Jagjaguwar.[3] Recorded by Olsen and engineer Michael Harris in a converted church, the album features tracks from her 2019 album, All Mirrors, arranged in a more intimate style, featuring the unreleased tracks "Whole New Mess" and "Waving, Smilling" which were released as singles.[3]

Recording

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Whole New Mess was recorded over ten days in October 2018 with engineers Michael Harris and Nicholas Wilbur. The pair worked in isolation in Anacortes, Washington, notable as the hometown of independent musician Phil Elverum, recording in a converted Catholic church.[4] Olsen would use the church's corridors to create a natural echo effect on her vocals.[4]

The album was recorded prior to Olsen's 2019 studio album, All Mirrors, which features many of the same compositions in a different form: "When we made [Whole New Mess], I was still processing a lot of the songs, so for me, it’s harder to listen to this record than it is for me to listen to All Mirrors. When I recorded All Mirrors, other people had their hands in the pot, which separated me from the songs. I could get into them in a distant way. On Whole New Mess I’m feeling every feeling that they evoke."[4]

Composition

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The album was written following the collapse of a romantic relationship, with Olsen noting: "I was really depressed. I had no idea whether the songs were good. They were just about my life. I could have recorded them at home and kept them as demos, but I knew Michael [Harris] was someone I could be depressed in front of, who would help me to explore it in different ways. It was such an emotional process."[4]

Critical reception

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The album was critically acclaimed upon its release. At Metacritic, based on sixteen professional reviews, it received a weighted average score of 83 out of 100.[5]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.6/10[6]
Metacritic83/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStarHalf star[7]
Consequence of SoundB+[8]
DIYStarStarStarStarFile:Star empty.svg[9]
Exclaim!8/10[10]
The Line of Best Fit7.5/10[11]
Loud and Quiet9/10[12]
NMEStarStarStarStarFile:Star empty.svg[13]
Paste7.0/10[14]
Pitchfork8.0/10[15]
Rolling StoneStarStarStarStarFile:Star empty.svg[16]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Angel Olsen.

Whole New Mess track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Whole New Mess"3:42
2."Too Easy (Bigger Than Us)"2:32
3."(New Love) Cassette"2:50
4."(We Are All Mirrors)"2:36
5."(Summer Song)"4:09
6."Waving, Smiling"3:52
7."Tonight (Without You)"4:01
8."Lark Song"6:30
9."Impasse (Workin' for the Name)"3:48
10."Chance (Forever Love)"5:29
11."What It Is (What It Is)"2:36
Total length:42:05

Personnel

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Charts

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Chart performance for Whole New Mess
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[17] 38
Scottish Albums (OCC)[18] 29
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 98
UK Americana Albums (OCC)[20] 1
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[21] 10
UK Album Sales Chart (OCC)[22] 37

References

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  7. ^ Donelson, Marcy. Review of Whole New Mess at AllMusic. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
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  17. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Angel Olsen – Whole New Mess". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  18. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  19. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Angel Olsen – Whole New Mess". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  20. ^ "Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  21. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
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