American Football [EP]

American Football: Mike Kinsella (vocals, guitar, bass); Steve Holmes (guitar); Steve Lamos (trumpet, drums, percussion).
Before there was Owen, there was American Football, a musical outlet for the songs of Mike Kinsella (Cap'n Jazz, Joan of Arc). If the number of classic emo records can be counted on two hands, the list certainly includes American Football's self-titled LP, a release that nailed a certain kind of youthful wistfulness while never seeming whiny or immature. That album was preceded by a three-song EP (the band's only two releases), reissued by Polyvinyl in 2009. All three tracks are gems, especially "The One With the Tambourine," full of nimble guitar hammer-ons (in clean, undistorted tones) and Kinsella's equally crisp vocals. Math-y polyrhythms distinguish "Letters and Packages" and "Five Silent Miles," though they're ultimately just as warm.