Owen: L'Ami du Peuple (Polyvinyl, 7/2/13)
It has all the trademarks of a classic Owen record, including the intricately picked guitars and soul-baring lyrics. But L’Ami du Peuple, Owen’s seventh full-length, expands nicely on singer-songwriter Mike Kinsella’s ability to write dynamically. Twin singles “Bad Blood” and “Coffin Companions” function as foot-stomp fodder, with the former actually having a Bic-worthy electric-guitar solo to boot.
Several tracks on L’Ami also feature much more jagged, almost mathy song structures — a trademark of Kinsella’s past in Cap’n Jazz, Owls, and Joan of Arc (with brother Tim), but also a possible outcome of his ongoing involvement with the much noisier Chicago super-group Their / They’re / There. Whatever the cause, the indulgence in volume is a welcome addition, transforming L’Ami du Peuple into a work that doesn’t sacrifice passion for intimacy.