Review Summary: Mike Kinsella created a beautiful album that is simple and complex all at once, and is engaging enough for any music fan.
Complexity and density are words not often used to describe the singer-songwriter genre. But, Mike Kinsella is not an ordinary songwriter. Owen’s latest album is filled with lush guitar finger picking and beautifully timid, engaging, and well thought out singing. The lyrics are personal, but not to the point of being cheesy. The song topics are simple and easy to relate to. This album is a classic in every meaning of the word and can be enjoyed by anyone that loves music that is complex, easy to connect with, and very well written.
The first thing I noticed about this album was the superb guitar playing. Almost the entire album is finger picked, with a few strummed passages sprinkled throughout. His picking is very precise and is pretty technical at points, especially in the first song “Bad News” and “Pietro Crespi.” Sometimes a second guitar is interlaced, playing not so much a lead line, but a complimentary passage. Good examples of this are the aforementioned “Pietro Crespi” and “One of these Days”. Aside from the guitar, there is also a heavy usage of strings. The string arrangements are usually tasteful and don’t detract from the songs at all. In “One of these Days” there is a sparse piano line present at the end that adds the extra touch the song needed because of the repeated guitar line. The additional instruments present in the songs makes each song come into its own and stand out more than it would have by itself.
The lyrics in this album are not exactly what you would expect from Mike Kinsella. They have less to do with girls and are more self searching than in his previous albums. He mentioned in an interview that his wife would probably get mad at him if he still wrote songs about being lonely! One of my personal favorite lines is in “Bad News” where he writes:
“Free beer and basement shows don't mean you've made it, it's what you do, not who you were, or what you wear, or where you've been, so do something”
This song is a shot at himself and is very sharp and direct in contrast to the music. My other favorite set of lyrics comes from one of these days where he talks about how he wants a real job so he can buy the things he wants: paint, guitar strings, and a new bicycle seat so he can ride over to his girlfriend’s house. The simplicity of the song is a refreshing break from the usual rock songs about wanting girls, cars, and money. This might be a cheesy way to put it, but Mike writes lyrics that make you feel like he’s your best friend telling you about what happened over the week and sharing his feelings in an intimate way about what is happening in his life. There’s no bull*** and pretentious wordiness, just simple personal lyrics.
To me this album is perfect. I can listen to it anytime and anywhere, whether I’m riding in the car with my girlfriend or listening to it in bed before I go to sleep. It has depth if you’re into complex guitar playing and interesting musical ideas, but it’s also catchy and simple enough for people who want an album to just relax to. This album is not the kind that immediately stands out as a classic, but one you’ll realize that you love because it’s an album you can come back to and feel right at home with.
