SONGS ALBUM II

Songs Album II is LA musician Aaron MF
Olson''''s Country Thyme Records debut, his
second '''songs for singing'''' album in just over
a decade of releasing music. Aaron''''s a sweet
fellow. He can be salty on occasion, but it''''s put

to good use here. His songs mix satiric, con-
fessional and experimental lyric modes and

his music''''s cut from a fine cloth of head-in-
formed, classically sweet and soft pop/rock

modes. Most of all, Songs Album II is music
for listening.
To listen to and to play music; that's been
his highest aim, for most of his life. His high

school band was a post-rock group that mor-
phed into a surf music outfit; he''''s been simi-
larly guided by such polarities '''n congruities

in the time since. He''''s released four albums
of 'Baywatch Krautrock" with LA Takedown,

and played and recorded in many other proj-
ects, including but not limited to his exper-
imental Music Tracing Ensemble, exotica

collective Other Delights, Bedouine, Coffin
Prick, Papa M, Tommy Peltier, Vetiver and
'L.A.''''s Most grateful Dead cover band," Richard Pictures. Aaron''''s solo credits include
2020''''s switched-on essay, Ranchera '22 {Synthesizer Interpretations of the Songs of
Jose Alfredo Jimenez} and the 2022 New Age release, For Dorothy. He does film/
television composition too; most recently, the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for
Matt Hewitt''''s indie horror film, Hoagie. Life''''s not cheap, and so far as hard work goes,
making music is fun.
If all this implies a wide palette of input/output, Songs Album II has it in reserve, framed
scrupulously in a sequence of nice, light folk/rock ditties, their spacey-yet-precise
arrangements colorfully blowing up the songs'''' personal values: by definition, perfect
listening! It''''s Aaron, on most acoustic and electric guitars and basses, keyboards,
harmonica, synth & vocals, Robin MacMillian on drums, Tara Milch, flute; Michael
Sachs, clarinets; Luke Csehak, bassoon & trumpet; additional guitars & vocals from
Blue Broderick, Bart Davenport and Wayne Faler; keyboards & vocals from Andrew

Dorsett and vocals by Matt Popieluch, making Songs Album II a collection of wides-
creen, hi-def songs and sounds.

Aaron''''s voice is light-toned, gentle and tunefully raspy, falling somewhere between
Jack Nitzsche, Van Dyke Parks, Robert Wyatt, and personal inspirations John Simon,
Stephen Pastel, Jim O''''Rourke and Kermit''''s nephew, Robin. And Emmett Otter! Not a
bad bunch to be sharing the water with. He came late to singing; 2021''''s Songs Album
was literally provoked into being. He''''d was down with COVID, a lifeless, cold week,
sweating it out... and immediately afterwards, he finished several already-conceived
songs, wrote the rest, got it all done in weeks'a post-fever fervor! Without trying to,
Aaron came around to Songs Album II in the EXACT same way, after another bout
of demon COVID. He''''s a singer/songwriter who''''s been known to dream musical
passages, with a couple on this record in delightful proof'welcoming the hand of
the mystic upon him.
The 'no particular theme" implied by the title is only part so. It''''s no concept album,
unless the concept is 'album, of songs," but there ARE themes to be found here, feels
and emotions crystalized around this lifetime of listening. With moments of sound
laced into song, functioning both as toe-tapping sweet melodies and near-Joycean
full-function index of personal reference, Aaron MF Olson''''s Songs Album II is music
meant for listening to in the spirit of listening, and higher calling. And singing along!