Owen, "New Leaves"

Owen
“New Leaves”
(Polyvinyl)

(****/5)

Mike Kinsella’s solo endeavor, Owen, always seems to be overshadowed by his past bands, whether it’s Cap’n Jazz or American Football. For many years, Kinsella has been playing under the Owen moniker and his stripped down folkie indie aesthetic is a stark contrast to the off-time, off-beat and weird direction that his frequent collaborator and brother Tim Kinsella often finds himself in.

The thing I most enjoy about Owen is how consistent the quality in Kinsella’s work is. There’s a clear line from 2002’s “No Good for No One” to his latest record “New Leaves,” from literary references to the vulnerability in Kinsella’s voice, it’s easy to see his linear thought process.

“New Leaves” is an easy going album. The record’s lead single “Good Friends, Bad Habits” is the type of track that can bring generations of rock fans together, while the middle track “Brown Hair in a Bird’s Nest” is a wispy song that can find itself placed in some Zack Braff movie.

Let it be known that even though Kinsella isn’t breaking new ground, he is one of the most underrated songwriters out there right now writing material that is geared towards people who’ve walked away from “the scene” and find themselves hanging out with their significant others, cooking dinners for their family and reading T.S. Eliot on a train ride to work. That kind of storytelling ability is seldom present into today’s contemporary pop landscape, but Owen’s “New Leaves” has the kind of narrative that should be embraced.

Owen's Myspace



-- Ryan Pangilinan