Songs Album II is LA musician Aaron MF Olson’s Country Thyme Records debut, the second “sung songs” album from the L.A. Takedown architect in just over a decade of releasing music. Mixing satiric, confessional and experimental lyric modes in his songs, Songs Album II is an overwhelming show of Aaron’s compositional gifts and pop sensibilities, cut from a fine cloth of head-informed, classically sweet and soft pop/rock modes. The first single, “Nobody Can Tell,” releases today with a music video by Matt Hewitt.
Stepping forth in bright moderato, “Nobody Can Tell” is a romantic ballad of innate sweetness; it’s funny for a song with the chorus, “nobody can tell you it will be okay.” As Aaron puts it: “It’s not a pessimistic look at the state of the world, but rather an observation and subsequent expression of unease around the lack of responsible adults out there making decisions on humanity’s behalf.” The message feels relatable and replayable, like songs from young and innocent daze; no doubt inspired by circa ‘65 Stones. The music video, starring Aaron and Jonah F Olson, frames the tune in a different light, a trip through the heart of darkness (aka, a hike in the desert) revelling in cannibalism, rock climbing and an excess of Gipsy Kings fandom.
In the path to his solo “songs” journey, Aaron MF Olson’s polarities ‘n congruities have shifted his music across multiple zones. He’s released four albums of “Baywatch Krautrock” with L.A. Takedown, partaking in many other projects: his experimental Music Tracing Ensemble, exotica collective Other Delights, and appearing on stage in Bedouine, Coffin Prick, Papa M, Vetiver, and “L.A.’s Most grateful Dead cover band,” Richard Pictures, to name a few. 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; and keyboards & vocals from Andrew Dorsett and vocals by Matt Popieluch.
Songs Album II a collection of widescreen, hi-def songs and sounds. 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 music is meant for listening to in the spirit of listening, and higher calling. And singing along! Join the choir on June 26, 2026.
Aaron MF Olson 2026 Tour Dates
June 24 – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon (Album Release Show)
