ALBUM REVIEW: Al Olender - The Worrier

album reviewmusic

Feb 13

** This article originally appeared in our February 2026 issue **

“While “Spring Fever” feels like a coming-of-age movie, with a playful overlay of voices chattering through radio-like static, “Fun (While it Lasted)” portrays itself as the slow-burning comedown after the high of a fleeting love.”

Hudson Valley-based Al Olender gets deeply personal on her second full-length album, The Worrier. The 11 tracks string together seamlessly, each offering a different layer to a story of love, grief, yearning, and — you guessed it — worry.

Right from the get-go, Olender greets us with an avant-garde offering of synthy yodels and overlapping conversation in the first few seconds of “Famously Close.” A boppy breakdown beat follows, before we are met swiftly with the singer-songwriter’s impressive range of tone that’s controlled, yet exploratory. Even after listening to the whole record, this first track sets itself apart from the rest of the album.

The next song, “The Cyclone,” is also a clear standout, and supports my first impression of The Worrier in that the body of music feels like a modern-day western. This song leans more toward the modern side of that theme, as Olender sings of brushing her teeth at the “Planet Fit” and wanting to send that text she knows she shouldn’t — because who doesn’t contemplate all their life decisions while staring in the mirror completing one of the most mundane daily tasks of our existence? These kinds of subtle tidbits that listeners can relate to are sprinkled throughout the lyrics of each song gracefully, and “The Cyclone,” one of three singles released ahead of the full album, is just one track where they shine through particularly well.

Some of the songs seem to go hand-in-hand with one another, almost like a continuing chapter dispersed into two tracks. “Spring Fever” and “Fun (While it Lasted)” boast such characteristics. While “Spring Fever” feels like a coming-of-age movie, with a playful overlay of voices chattering through radio-like static, “Fun (While it Lasted)” portrays itself as the slow-burning comedown after the high of a fleeting love. Things get extra vulnerable on this fourth track, before the tempo picks up on “Halley’s Comet” once again. The western vibe begs to be seen again in this tune that clocks in at just over three minutes. Between the crackly texture added over Olender’s vocals and the sing-songy piano, tambourine, and clapping, it gives major old-timey, Dorothy-leaving-Kansas energy. We also hear more about teethbrushing in this track with the lyrics, *“You said I brush my teeth like a bitch.”* This line not only made me chuckle, but also made me stop and ponder what exactly it would look like to brush your teeth like a bitch.

As the end of the album nears, things get more serious in “Miracle Boy,” as Olender details her journey of grief associated with the death of her brother. The song is heavy, but portrays a level of honorable vulnerability that many mainstream artists don’t even scratch the surface of. Adjacent to grief, Olender captures the deep-rooted struggles of fury that come with worry in “Crying in Thai Diner,” a notable favorite title of mine on the record.

“Stale Chips” dives into the complexity of yearning for someone, with many enthralling words by Olender. A phrase of note that Olender scales with passion is, “I want to be a bird bath in your brain / Watch you wash your body with my name.”

The final song wraps the composition up with a perfect bow. For one, it’s titled “The Worrier,” and it highlights another common trait of the worriers in the world: being apologetic to the max. But more importantly, track 11, the longest on the album, serves as one final earnest look into Olender’s personal yet relatable project that showcases her unique voice through exploratory songs.

The Worrier is out today on all major streaming services.