Review: Owen - New Leaves

Musically, Mike Kinsella doesn't have to prove anything to anyone. His roster of former bands reads like a Pitchfork list of the best experimental emo bands: Joan of Arc, Cap'n Jazz and American Football. His solo project, Owen sounds like he knows that. There's no reinventing the wheel here, just a guy and his guitar, with some light orchestration, playing guy-with-a-guitar songs. And doing it well I might add.

This is a soothing album. Kinsella's voice and his finger picked guitar are like a blanket that surrounds you with warmth that smells vaguely of whiskey. The drums are sparse and low strings make up a good portion of the instrumentation. Lyrically the songs range from paeans to poetic intoxication to odes to his current love like the strangely beautiful 'Amnesia.' It seems to me though that the theme tying the ironically named New Leaves together is one of looking back. Missing your old friends, or who you were when you were younger or the place you used to live. Unless you've stayed in exactly the same your whole life, I defy you to listen to 'Good Friends, Bad Habits' without missing at least one person or place that you've left behind. Lest you think this album is a total sap-fest, I would like to direct your attention to the penultimate track "Ugly on the Inside." An acid bitter recrimination of someone we can only assume to be a former lover. If you like a little snarl to your haunting beauty then this is the song for you.

In all though, this is a lushly beautiful sounding album with lyrics that will help it stand up to plenty of repeat listens. Put it on in the background to set the mood on date night but when things go south, it's time to dig into the lyrics. Plus, if you've ever had a friend, the video for the single will make you want to spend more time with them.



Owen - Good Friend, Bad Habits

Owen - Ugly on the Inside

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Owen