Olsen officially came on the scene with EP ÔÇÿStrange Cacti’, a not displeasing clash of sparse, eerie echoes and voice oscillating between registers. The touch of folk that crept its way in was fully unleashed in first album ÔÇÿHalf Way Home’, released in 2012. Angel Olsen went from resonance-in-the-rough to crisp vocals over guitar picking; from songs entitled ÔÇÿIf It’s Alive, It Will’ and ÔÇÿCreator, Destroyer’ to ÔÇÿSafe in the Womb’ and ÔÇÿThe Sky Opened Up’. In short, 2012 was a dire year.

Thankfully, this year’s ÔÇÿBurn Your Fire for No Witness’ opens with ÔÇÿUnfucktheworld’. A superior effort. It’s minimalistic and not a million miles away from her folky debut, but the touch of synth and self-assertive message ÔÇô “I am the only one now” ÔÇô are the perfect way to bridge the gap from Safe First Album to Better Second One.

ÔÇÿForgiven/Forgotten’, a youthful song of ignorance and love, uses the addition of Josh Jaeger’s drums to prime effect. Every element of the track pounds out the lyrics “I don’t know anything”, bringing back the chaotic undertone of Olsen’s EP that had gone astray in the folk nightmare of 2012.

Middle track ÔÇÿStars’ is one of the album’s highlights. Angel’s voice disintegrates by the end of the track to become entirely indiscernible, which is entirely appropriate to the accusation, “I think you like to see me lose my mind”. In pulling each other apart, content and form come together. ÔÇÿStars’ contends with ÔÇÿForgiven/Forgotten’ for the richest composition on the record.

The odd twang sneaks in throughout (you can take a nap through seven-minute drawl ÔÇÿWhite Fire’) but overall ÔÇÿBurn Your Fire for No Witness’ just about does justice to the pioneering promise of its title. Olsen experiments with Stewart Bronaugh on bass, distorting her voice at the album’s strongest moments so that the words become an extension of Bronaugh’s playing. The record succeeds in maintaining an accessible rock vibe while pushing the boundaries far enough to make Olsen’s second offering a worthy contribution to music in 2014.

If Angel Olsen continues to evolve at this pace and resists the temptation to folk, she’ll be firmly on the radar next time around.