At Home with Owen

Drummer, guitarist, and songwriter Mike Kinsella was active in Chicago's indie music scene throughout the 1990s, playing in bands like Cap'n Jazz and American Football. Owen is Kinsella's solo project, and 2006's AT HOME WITH OWEN (appropriately named as the album was recorded in the artist's home studio) continues in the vein of previous Owen releases, delivering quietly melancholic, emo-tinged songs. Subtle electronica backdrops flesh out Kinsella's acoustic guitar and cracked, expressive vocals. And while the lyrics tread familiar territory about heartbreak and self-doubt, they do so in a way that's convincing and, ultimately, winning.