Many listeners first discovered Olivia O’Brien through the 2020 hit “Josslyn,” her unapologetic callout of ex-boyfriend Logan Paul. Six years later, PIXIE finds the singer-songwriter in a very different place. Her first full-length album since 2019’s Was It Even Real?, the 15-track record trades much of the glossy R&B and pop of its predecessor for indie rock, folk, and singer-songwriter influences. Produced alongside Day Wave, it’s an easy recommendation for Olivia Rodrigo fans looking for another artist who balances sharp lyricism with guitar-driven pop.
I’ve been seeing videos from O’Brien’s sets (she’s currently opening for Benson Boone), while she performs wearing headphones adorned with fairy ears, perfectly bringing the album’s whimsical aesthetic to life. But make no mistake, PIXIE isn’t a concept album. Instead, O’Brien bounces between relationships, identity, self-worth, heartbreak, empowerment, and even questions about life after death. Like its title suggests, the album flits from one emotion to the next with a restless curiosity, never staying in one place for too long.
The record opens with “Dream Girl,” whose warm guitars and breezy melodies immediately reminded me of Michelle Branch, before moving into the restless “Icarus,” where O’Brien sings, “I need a new addiction, something to waste my time,” comparing self-destructive habits to flying too close to the sun. “I Always Say I’m Leaving” delivers one of the album’s catchiest choruses, while “The Masochist” and “Take What You Need” lean further into crunchy indie rock guitars. On the latter, she asks, “Can someone tell me who I am? ‘Cause I don’t think I know,” a lyric that quietly captures much of the album’s emotional core.
My favorite track is “Written by a Man,” which features songwriting contributions from Jensen McRae. It’s O’Brien at her sharpest, pairing biting observations with some of the strongest lyrics on the record. Elsewhere, “Goodman” ventures into folk territory that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Big Thief album, while “Girl, Just Be Alone!” is an empowering pop anthem encouraging women to stop settling for disappointing partners. “I Can Do Whatever I Want” feels tailor-made for a coming-of-age movie soundtrack, and “Imaginary” delivers one of the album’s most devastating lines: “I can’t even call them exes, they were never mine to own.”
The closing track, “Heaven,” expands PIXIE‘s scope beyond breakups and dating. “Cause if we don’t go to heaven, where the hell does it all go?” O’Brien asks, reflecting on why people create stories about angels and fairies to make an uncertain world feel a little less frightening. It’s a fitting conclusion to an album that isn’t afraid to wrestle with life’s biggest questions alongside its smaller, everyday heartbreaks.
At 15 tracks, PIXIE never feels like a collection of leftovers after years of standalone releases. Instead, it feels like the album Olivia O’Brien has been building toward since Was It Even Real?, showcasing a more confident songwriter unafraid to explore everything from messy relationships to existential dread. It’s her most cohesive and rewarding project to date.
PIXIE is out now.
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