Dec 7

Dec 7 19.

Olga Bell - Tempo

[One Little Indian]

Tempo is an album that is entwined with the modern human experience. In the process of creating it, Olga Bell took an interest in how different tempos suit or provoke different moods, and she decided to undergo writing a new song using a BPM that suited her mood on that day. This means an album that stays strictly in the art-pop realm, but can flit from sludgy thinkers to perky dancers with ease. Lyrically, Bell takes us into her psyche and her experiences with the world and people around her, describing them matter-of-factly in a way that makes their presence tangible to the listener. She faces down arrogant people in “Power User”; talks about how a good caffeine hit can get her “feeling like a weirdo” in “Doppio”; or demand that you “stop when you see me and look me in the eye” in the stunning bridge of 90s-esque pop jam “Ritual.”

Bell did a lot of research into electronic music production in the creation of Tempo, going to clubs by herself, investigating popular young electronic musicians, and reading about how and what they use to make their sounds. She stated that she wanted to “use sounds that [she] thought of as really commercial and almost kind of gross.” The result is a very crisp and clean sounding album – although she may have taken nods from contemporary chart house in terms of equipment, she certainly hasn’t followed in their maximalist build-build-build-DROP formula. Instead she has crafted a set of devilishly catchy and alert pop songs that are themselves often like a caffeine boost. The bubbling percussive undercurrent to “Randomness” perfectly underscores the feeling of meaningless information flying at you from all sides, and when the bouncy chorus drops with Bell’s disaffected repetition of the title, the result is a mesmerizing moment of happiness amongst confusion. “Zone” is another highlight, encouraging the listener to “get in the zone, connect that shit on your own,” delivered like a teasing-yet-encouraging pal, over a pristine white backdrop with simplistic shades perfectly capturing the essence of the message.

The album doesn’t shy away from the negative feelings that come with the human condition either. There’s the damnation of “Your Life Is A Lie,” or the fear of impending doom on closer “America.” But my favourite is “ATA,” which includes the lyrics “Am I dead? Am I fucking useless? No-one reads what I’ve said. No-one gets in my head,” which I can say for sure is a feeling I’ve certainly shared at many points. But she rescues it with a perfect encapsulation:

“The sun said: Baby it’s tough, but don’t get low. Our work is humble, daily I rise; daily you write.”

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Below you can see my top 50 albums of the year list.