‘The King of Whys’ is the first album of new material from Mike Kinsella under the Owen moniker since the reformation of one of his storied former bands, American Football.
It sees him return to the themes of relationships, aging and family issues, soundtracked by the familiar sounds of his intricate acoustic guitar work, while the songs are again filled out with the expansive production, drums, strings and brass that have characterised more recent albums.
Also still present are his soulful, clever and biting lyrics. It’s satisfying to hear Kinsella contrast delicate piano and string melodies with The Desperate’s prickly sentiments: “I’m calling in sick forever, and I’m calling bullshit on everyone.”
This time around, Kinsella worked with Bon Iver’s S.Carey as producer and his influence can be heard on Sleep Is A Myth, with its dense vocal harmonies, and Lost, with its percussive violin plucking. His presence is subtle, though, and throughout Kinsella always sounds like himself.
A Burning Soul sees him showing off his reflective lyrical strengths again. “In my defence I was raised by a blind man on fire, who was raised to lip sync in his church choir, so I'm not a saint and I'm not a singer,” he sings.
Settled Down is the closest Kinsella has skated to American Football’s style on an Owen track, most noticeably due to the intricate drumming, while Empty Bottle is refreshingly abrasive, with acoustic and electric guitars playing a harsh, simple two note riff in unison.
‘The King of Whys’ may not hold as many sparkling highlights when stacked up against Kinsella’s impressive back catalogue, but it remains an album full of beautifully constructed songs that reveal more on every listen.
Owen Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Mon November 21 2016 - LONDON St Pancras Old Church
Wed November 23 2016 - LONDON Forge
Thu November 24 2016 - LONDON Forge
Fri November 25 2016 - LONDON St Pancras Old Church
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