There’s no doubt that Mike Kinsella, the man behind the sad
acoustics of Owen, carries a bruised psyche and sutured heart wherever
he goes. Two things separate him from the blatant heartstring-tuggers:
his attention to detail, which allows him to produce lyrical variations
on woe-is-me tropes with the grace of Morrissey, and his depth as a
musician, which he’s displayed since he fronted math-rocking, emo
cult-heroes American Football. The Seaside EP shows off these
two qualities admirably. Kinsella hits on minutiae like overbites and
lost weight (“I Woke Up Today”), sharing the flu (“A Fever”) and the
contents of his favorite lunch (“In the Morning Before Work”), while
his guitar work is complex and shimmering. The result is a hushed
middle ground between instrumental guitar records and the pop of
Elliott Smith. The cover of Extreme’s “More Than Words” may recall
awkward open-mic-night moments a bit too much, but otherwise Kinsella
continues to improve his craft by exploring the facets of his
melancholy life. — Matt Whelihan
This article appears in Jul 8-14, 2009.
