EastScene

There are only a handful of artists of today that have the profound ability to tell a story in a song. Sure, some may say, “WTF man, every song is a story. Look at Hoobastank”. And sadly, in a mentally deficient kind of way, they’d be right. There’s a difference, though, between artists that force their contrived tales onto paper, and those who are able to bring listeners into their own realistic, natural state of mind.

Chicago, Illinois’ Owen, led by American Football’s indie titan Mike Kinsella, is the perfect example of the storyteller within the musician. With four previous albums between 2001 and 2006, he has firmly planted his homegrown melodious roots into the Chicago indie scene. His newest album, titled New Leaves, is sure to maintain the almost cult-esque faith in such moving ambient vocals, lead acoustic guitars, and intricate lyrics.

New Leaves presents Kinsella on the stage that he has deemed best fitting for himself through his work with American Football and Owls: the rhythmic entwining of calm and collected vocals with warm and welcoming guitars and accompanying instrumentals. The opening track entitled “New Leaves”, serves as Kinsella’s ‘welcome back‘ since the last album released in November of 2006. The embrace of the piano and the guitar, so closely knit as if one musical being, play chorus to vocal nostalgia, the story of never finding what one truly needs. The following track “Good Friends, Bad Habits”, also acts as the album’s single, and is arguably the single most successful track on the album (check out the video here). Kinsella’s witty and clever stroll through the lives of his friends, the unflattering quirks that become the hidden centre of their very character; in a sense, his own friends are the virtual representation of the every day person, each with our own flaws and misconceptions on the rights and wrongs of life.

Track after track, Kinsella displays his musical and lyrical prowess, unmatched by the artists of today. While it could be argued that the musical aspect does appear to emulate itself, focusing on what works and using it for other songs (more commonly known as KingsofLeon-itis), this doesn’t take away from the blatant and undeniable fact that Owen is so much more multi-layered and passionate than other artists who boast their uniqueness.

New Leaves is more than just another album: it reflects on all of us, and the life that we wish we could admit to living. Pick up the album here, and impress all your friends with your musical awesomeness.

Overall Rating: 9/10

Owen is:

Mike Kinsella – Vocals / Guitar

Best Tracks? “Good Friends”, “Bad Habits”, “A Trenchant Critique”, “Amnesia and Me”, “Too Scared to Move”, “Ugly on the Inside”

Buy it or Download? Definitely buy. This is easily one of today’s most talented indie artists, a great addition to any music collection.