Angel Olsen – “Safety Dance”
Only Angel Olsen can turn “Safety Dance” by 80s icon, Men Without Hats, and turn it into a creepily beautiful song that sounds as if it should be on the jukebox at the bar in Twin Peaks. Olsen is a genius: she has recreated the song from a celebration of finding a place to dance as you want to a paean to individuality doing what you want, even if that is doing nothing. I can hear traces of the Velvet Underground and the Psychedelic Furs in this mixing of synthesized sounds with Olsen’s strong voice rising above the waves of cacophony. I’m not sure whether I’m dancing by myself or with my demons or friends. As usual, Olsen brings the very best out of everything she does.