Mike Kinsella is a bit of an indie rock legend. This former member of Cap'n Jazz has had such a long and successful solo career as Owen that it's almost hard to remember his old band. With six albums underneath his belt, he's truly come into his own as a songwriter developing initially from a sparse acoustic player to something almost at the other end of the spectrum. His latest album, and seventh in his discography, Ghost Town continues to see Owen grow in richness and texture and develop lush arrangements that exhibit is maturity.
While still intimate after all these years, Owen manages to wrap that intimacy in a blanket of warm sounds that are comforting and gorgeous. Yes, this is mellow stuff for the most part but it's so deep in it's breadth and construction that it's almost orchestral in it's approach. Listening to Ghost Town is kind of like receiving an aural hug. It's strangely familiar and soothing to listen to. I can't help but wish that more singer songwriters adopted Kinsella's lush and homey approach to writing...it would be a different world.
Ghost Town is a gorgeous album that's mellow and endearing. Owen goes for your heartstrings and pulls them in an attempt to listen and you can't but be engrossed while Kinsella wrangles lyrical apparitions. In listening to Ghost Town you can almost sense that Owen (aka Kinsella) is ready to move on to the next chapter of his life which may or may not include his band. Let's hope that Owen carries on.
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