{"id":12946,"date":"2014-12-01T11:53:03","date_gmt":"2014-12-01T11:53:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/album-review-owen-other-peoples-songs\/"},"modified":"2018-03-21T22:16:19","modified_gmt":"2018-03-21T22:16:19","slug":"album-review-owen-other-peoples-songs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/album-review-owen-other-peoples-songs\/","title":{"rendered":"Album Review: Owen – Other People\u2019s Songs"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Owen<\/strong> (AKA Mike Kinsella) has always been impartial to the odd cover version. He\u2019s already tackled everything from Extreme\u2019s \u2018More Than Words\u2019<\/em> to Wilco\u2019s \u2018I\u2019m Always In Love\u2019<\/em> to Bruce Springsteen’s \u2018Stolen Car\u2019<\/em> (renamed \u2018Stolen Bike\u2019<\/em>), so an album of covers paying tribute to some of his favourite artists and influences promises a real insight into an individual with a broad musical taste but a definite sound and style. <\/p>\n

In fact, pretty early on you can tell Kinsella has chosen his songs perfectly. Lyrically and musically every song sounds like it could\u2019ve been culled from a different part of his career. In the case of \u2018Girl In A Box\u2019<\/em> (originally by Blake Babies) it\u2019s even a perfect fit thematically and could\u2019ve been lifted straight off \u2018Ghost Town\u2019<\/em>. It\u2019s a phenomenally clever choice \u2013 but then I\u2019d expect nothing less from an artist as experienced as Kinsella. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The songs he has chosen are also perfect for his voice and tone and style. Listening back to his take on \u2018More Than Words\u2019<\/em>, it\u2019s funny because it\u2019s such an unexpected cover, but it\u2019s in no way one of his finest songs \u2013 and sounds like a cover version. Here, all of the songs sound like an Owen<\/strong> song. From the intricate guitar work of Lungfish\u2019s \u2018Descender\u2019<\/em> and Mojave 3\u2019s \u2018Some Kinda Angel\u2019<\/em> to the bittersweet and occasionally spiteful lyrics of the aforementioned \u2018Girl In A Box\u2019<\/em>, Owen<\/strong> trademarks are stamped all over \u2018Other People\u2019s Songs\u2019<\/em> \u2013 certainly in far more than many other cover albums, which often just sound like tribute records. <\/p>\n

Kinsella does occasionally stray from type \u2013 The Promise Ring\u2019s \u2018Forget Me\u2019<\/em> is both jaunty and a huge amount of fun \u2013 something not usually associated with Kinsella\u2019s earnest indie\/emo. It\u2019s a brilliant take on one of his Cap\u2019n Jazz bandmate Davey von Bohlen\u2019s finest songs (although lyrically it\u2019s another great fit), transforming the neurotic indie-pop into a countrified singalong. <\/p>\n

Perhaps the biggest departure from the original source material can be found in the cover of Against Me!\u2019s \u2018Borne on the FM Waves of the Heart\u2019<\/em>. A monolithic, pounding slice of American punk rock, he keeps the boy\/girl vocals (brilliantly supported by Sarah Mitchell) but transforms it into an orchestral beauty. It\u2019s stripped back and heartfelt \u2013 and again, unmistakably Owen<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

He repeats the trick with the more traditional punk blasts of The Smoking Popes\u2019 \u2018Under The Blanket\u2019<\/em> and All\u2019s \u2018Just Like Them\u2019<\/em>, with the former in particular a real triumph. In fact, you could say the entire record is a triumph. It would be easy for everything to sound like a pastiche, but Kinsella\u2019s deft musicianship and sincere delivery ensures \u2018Other People\u2019s Songs\u2019<\/i> is another excellent addition to his near-flawless canon. <\/p>\n

4\/5<\/p>\n

‘Other People\u2019s Songs’<\/em> by Owen<\/strong> is out now on Polyvinyl<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Owen<\/strong> links: Facebook<\/a>|Twitter<\/a>|Bandcamp<\/a><\/p>\n

Words by Rob Mair (@BobNightMair<\/a>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Owen (AKA Mike Kinsella) has always been impartial to the odd cover version. He\u2019s already tackled everything from Extreme\u2019s \u2018More Than Words\u2019 to Wilco\u2019s \u2018I\u2019m Always In Love\u2019 to Bruce Springsteen’s \u2018Stolen Car\u2019 (renamed \u2018Stolen Bike\u2019), so an album of covers paying tribute to some of his favourite artists and influences promises a real insight […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":12951,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,8181],"tags":[5879,7588,2986,2983,15022],"class_list":["post-12946","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-album-reviews","category-post","tag-album-reviews","tag-other-peoples-songs","tag-owen","tag-polyvinyl","tag-rob-mair"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAlbum Review: Owen - Other People\u2019s Songs - Already Heard Staging<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Owen (AKA Mike Kinsella) has always been impartial to the odd cover version. 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He\u2019s already tackled everything from Extreme\u2019s \u2018More Than Words\u2019 to Wilco\u2019s\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/album-review-owen-other-peoples-songs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Already Heard Staging\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AlreadyHeard\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-12-01T11:53:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-03-21T22:16:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/tumblr_inline_nfv270OAyX1qztcot.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rob Mair\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@alreadyhearduk\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@alreadyhearduk\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rob Mair\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Album Review: Owen - Other People\u2019s Songs - Already Heard Staging","description":"Owen (AKA Mike Kinsella) has always been impartial to the odd cover version. 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