owen

(the ep)

‘From Cap’n Jazz to Joan of Arc to American Football and now to Owen, Mike Kinsella has been stripping away layers of music – and band members – with each successive recording.

Mike, the Kinsella brother buried a bit back in the shadows, has full reign over Owen, his solo project. And, to be honest, living behind Tim Kinsella may have had some psychological effect on his craft. It can be argued that his work is the inverse of Tim’s, an attempt to counterbalance their styles. Where Tim is tangential, Mike is linear; when Tim screams, Mike croons lightly; as Tim builds, Mike breaks down.

His is a different ray of the spectrum.

Make Believe, Tim’s new band, is a foray into the younger, wilder days of his punk roots. Owen, on the other hand, could be considered singer/songwriter, if the genre did not have such negative connotations attached to it. Guitars sweep in and quietly disappear. The drums crescendo and pause. Mike’s sweet and sullen voice is the focus of this record. It crackles a little, but that only adds more warmth to his tone.

During the album, he even gives a direct nod to Tim. It’s at this point that it becomes clear that he is not in the shadows by accident. This is where he feels most comfortable. He comes, he sings, he leaves. End of story. No point to draw it out or draw attention to himself. It’s the “if-this-affects-just-one-person” syndrome.