Olivia O.
No Bones, Sickly Sweet
SELF-RELEASED
One half of the Atlanta-based indie-pop duo Lowertown, Olivia Osby has been on a creative tear lately. Working on simultaneous projects with ease, her latest recording under the solo moniker Olivia O. is the foggy, melancholic, and introspective No Bones, Sickly Sweet, which she wrote, recorded, and produced herself. With her sophomore album she meticulously mines elements of slowcore, indie folk, and bedroom pop to gratifying effect. Despite its lo-fi ambiance, No Bones feels more polished and cohesive than Osby’s previous work (both solo and collaborative), emanating the energy of a beautifully sculpted demo tape that imbues the album's macabreness and angst with an endearing, nostalgic sentiment.
Osby’s ability to combine dark imagery with inward-looking and emotive lyrics in a deceptively catchy way makes her stand out from so many other songwriters of her generation, and No Bones is the perfect apotheosis of her witchy power to do this. The hymn-like opener “Little Bug,” wherein she juxtaposes a soft melody with lyrics of an insect being crushed on a windshield, feels purposefully hypnotic. The slightly off-kilter fingerpicked acoustic guitar notes hint at the song’s morbid nature, while her spaced-out vocal style makes it feel as if she's casting a spell. “One Hit Wonder” follows like an atmospheric take on The Breeders with lyrics of hopelessness and a need for validation. It’s a song that shows what No Bones does best: embraces pain, boredom, and rejection in a twisted yet beautiful way.
Another good example of this gothic fusion is “Roof Song,” in which Osby manages to make the song sound discordant yet harmonious. She layers guitar tracks over one another in an odd time signature, creating a discordant sensation—an ability she easily replicates with virtuosity in her live shows. Across the LP, Osby proves she can forge the most simple yet inventive compositions out of just a few chords. “It’s Easy” is a masterclass when it comes to this. Even though it mainly jumps between two chords, the weight of the lyrics gives it an emotional power few artists can muster, invoking Elliott Smith in all the right ways.
While a few tracks on No Bones, Sickly Sweet may not fully resonate, it remains an impactful and creative exploration. The combination of gothic, macabre lyricism and beautiful, melancholic melodies is captivating, and Osby’s talent for transforming nihilistic themes into something bright and heavenly is truly spellbinding.
