Angel Olsen Reaches for Eternity on Big Time “Centerpiece” “Through the Fires”
Photo by Angela RicciardiPowerhouse singer/songwriter Angel Olsen has shared the latest preview of her forthcoming album Big Time (June 3, Jagjaguwar), a single titled “Through the Fires,” with a lyric video shot by Angela Ricciardi. The song is a sweeping slow-burn in which Olsen seeks to transcend all of the love, heartbreak and loss that informed her new record.
”‘Through The Fires’ is the centerpiece statement of this record,” Olsen explains in a statement. “It’s a song I wrote to remind myself that this life is temporary, the past is not something to dwell on, that it’s important to keep moving, keep searching for the people that are also searching, and to notice the moments that are lighter and bigger than whatever trouble I’ve encountered.”
The song begins with serenely sparse piano and percussion, over which Olsen stretches her delicate vocals, recalling when she “made up [her] mind / To learn to release the dreams that had died.” A string trio soon lend their sounds to hers, the instrumental gaining momentum as Olsen’s resolve solidifies. It’s only once she vows to “walk through the fires / Of all earthly desires / And let go of the pain that obstructs you from higher” that the song enters its cathartic crescendo, Olsen’s vocalizations dancing with the strings as she rises above it all.
“Through the Fires” is Big Time’s third single, following “All The Good Times” and its title track. Olsen and director Kimberly Stuckwisch recently announced a short film, also titled Big Time, that will premiere on Amazon Music on June 2. In late July, Olsen heads out on the Wild Hearts Tour with Sharon Van Etten, Julien Baker and Spencer., followed by a fall E.U./U.K. tour.
Watch the lyric video for “Through the Fires” below.