Half Way Home

Angel Olsen - Half Way Home
Critic Score
Based on 8 reviews
2012 Ratings: #190 / 1118
User Score
Based on 284 ratings
2012 Rank: #235
Liked by 28 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

82
Beats Per Minute

While the album never stumbles wildly or veers off course, there is a bleakness, even in the midst of some of the more hopeful songs, that may keep some listeners at a distance.

80
Pitchfork

What makes Half Way Home magnificent is its openness to what could be, to potential.

80
AllMusic
Bare-bones harmonies, restrained instrumentation, and Olsen's brilliantly isolated musical persona result in an album to return to repeatedly, with new layers revealing themselves each time.
80
Consequence of Sound

Olsen’s white-hot volatility isn’t the main story of Half Way Home, but more the engine that carries her equally remarkable sense for folk- and country-based arrangements into something far less definable; even “anti-folk” is shallow in comparison. 

70
PopMatters

She can put her voice wherever she wants to, and she can land it without warning. It can cut or soothe, scare or comfort, and you’re not quite sure what it’s going to do—and when it’s going to do it. 

70
The Needle Drop
On her latest effort, Angel Olsen delivers a quaint and simple set of contemporary folk tunes with a few alt-country detours. Though the sounds are pretty familiar, it's her wonderfully bold voice that brings it all together.
MarkCooper
89

I was hiking in Red River Gorge, Kentucky a couple weeks ago when I was given the news that a family member had very unexpectedly died of a heart attack. My current situation was not ideal in the slightest for this news - my friend and I had just laid down to sleep after a long night of being on the trail and setting up our camp (it was midnight), and we were miles from anyone. I was laying in my sleeping bag in the tent when I read the messages. It was so different from any other time I'd ... read more

TheCarioca
70

Acrobat - 4/5
The Waiting - 3/5
Safe in the Womb - 3/5
Lonely Universe - 4/5
Can't Wait Until Tomorrow - 3/5
Always Half Strange - 3/5
You Are Song - 3/5
Miranda - 4/5
The Sky Opened Up - 4/5
Free - 4/5
Tiniest Seed - 4/5

idlxworship
85

For years now I've loved Angel Olsen's music and I have considered her one of my favourite artists, but this is my first time listening to her debut and digging into her discography.

This didn't sound like a debut at all, Angel's lyricism is nearly as good as in her future projects and as a cohesive body of work this was such an enjoyable experience. Even though some songs were so much better than others, this didn't have any "lowlights", my least favourite song from this album ... read more

primari
70

I was drifting in and out of sleep on a bus ride at 05AM, but from the pieces I picked up on I enjoyed what I heard!! It's typically a good sign for a record if I'm falling asleep to it on it's first listen, because that tends to be the case with many of my favorite records đŸ˜…. This definitely sounds like my kinda sound, and is something I intend to visit a few more times to actually understand the record and my feelings on it! This is my first introduction to Olsen's music, despite being ... read more

DJaycup
96

Diving into Angel Olsen #1:

Fuck off, haters. This is great folk music right here. Angel Olsen’s vocals are absolutely fantastic. They carry their own cadence, but also have a vibrato just like someone like Fiona Apple. Also, the lyrical aspects are sweet and they are very loved focused, but in a good way. Everything on this LP is fantastic and it is a great debut album for Angel Olsen

tymps
75

+ acrobat, the waiting, can't wait until tomorrow, free.

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Track List

1Acrobat
3:37
80
2The Waiting
3:42
73
3Safe in the Womb
5:22
63
4Lonely Universe
7:22
72
5Can't Wait Until Tomorrow
2:17
64
6Always Half Strange
2:49
65
7You Are Song
3:51
66
8Miranda
4:48
68
9The Sky Opened Up
4:07
71
10Free
2:29
73
11Tiniest Seed
3:29
69
Total Length: 43 minutes

Year End Lists

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#23/Tiny Mix Tapes
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Added on: September 12, 2012