Arts & Culture
SPINNING SINGLES: Olga Bell; Run the Jewels
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By JAEL GOLDFINE
Olga Bell is a student both of classical piano, composition and songwriting, and of the indie rock tradition. The prodigy and graduate of the New England Conservatory toured with synth-pop powerhouses Dirty Projectors and Chairlift from 2011 to 2013, and most recently released her folkloric record Krai, inspired by her Russian roots. The fusion of her obvious mastery of composition, with her consciousness of an indie pop sound has gifted us with her eviscerating and tender new single “Rubbernecker.”
However, in rejection of the chirpy, playful tunes of her previous indie-pop appointments, there’s nothing jaunty about “Rubbernecker.” The tune is an undeniable heartbreak track. Beginning with Bell’s nectar-like vocals over soft melancholy piano, she begs, “Please don’t tell me it’s an omen”; her voice, getting more powerful with every measure, interspersed with electronic taps and shimmering swells of synths. The bass gets deeper and bigger, and her voice becomes less melodic and predictable, dissonantly reminiscent of St.