The queen of the dance-pop scene of the 90s is back with a gorgeous piano ballad titled ‘Olive Branch’.

The song is introduced by a slow-moving piano chord progression, with the victorious feel of the Dorian scale with that second chord, especially. It’s a really clever way to give a major feel to a minor progression – a great way to build a bittersweet feel. Alanis’ silky voice, starting very smooth and calm, just barely touching the notes we know the legendary singer can hit with ease. The verse moves to the chorus, having a much tonally heavier feel than the Dorian-fueled verses, which is an interesting take on that particular scale. Typically, the chorus would have the more uplifting between the two, but Alanis takes the opportunity to rather indulge in the ‘bitter’ part of ‘bittersweet’, sounding much more melancholic than the verse. The chorus, however, bears those insanely high notes that’s made Alanis such a staple in the pop landscape. The belted passages are absolutely mind-blowing, and become even more so when, in the second half after the mesmerizing bridge, she is accompanied by an entire brass section, having a conversation with her own melodies. To put the song to a close, the instruments die back to a fade, with the tempo slowing down more so than the already slow-feel of the tune, repeating the chorus one final time in that luscious falsetto range.

‘Alanis Morissette’ did a wonderful job with ‘Olive Branch’. It’s a true ballad, bare of almost any instrument but her voice, and a piano, up until the latter half of the song where an expressive, yet passive orchestra section filled with brass come to highlight the beautiful harmony of the song. Even her own voice is bare from start to finish, without a single extra vocal harmony. The piano and single vocal do all the work here, and that’s perfectly beautiful.

Author: Nicholas Gaudet

Music producer and writer from Dieppe, Canada.