One of Angel Olsen’s many superpowers is reimagining songs, both her own and others’. With the release of Aisles, Olsen takes five 1980s classics and puts her Angel-ic spin on them. Tracks like her cover of Laura Branigan’s “Gloria” remove the ’80s brassiness, as Olsen delivers smoothly strong vocals amidst an electronic symphony of production. She manages to disrupt the whole mood of each song she covers, in the best way possible. Take her version of Men Without Hats’ “Safety Dance,” a song that loses all of its coy silliness in favor of a sexy edginess. You will never look at the ’80s the same way again. –kathy iandoli
This article originally appeared in the Fall 2021 print edition of BUST Magazine. Subscribe today!
