Owen - No Good for No-One Now

Polyvinyl - 2002 - 40 minutes

The list of American bands who have never got the audience they deserve(d) over this side of the world grows hourly. Appleseed Cast, Sensefield, The Dismemberment Plan, Jets to Brazil, American Football, Cap 'n' Jazz, Joan of Arc. The last three all have one thing in common: Mike Kinsella was among their ranks and with Owen he gets to do his own thing.

Any record whose first track has the lyric, "I know you're still dealing with her leaving", has probably guaranteed it classic status in the collections of many young men and Kinsella keeps the momentum going over the other seven tracks with talk of "orphan couches" and warnings that he'll die if he goes home alone tonight.

Hung up or bummed out, he would sound in the right place on singer-songwriter records from the 70s, and his work here could make you get on the phone and play this album to anyone who's willing to listen. There'll be plenty - but don't lend it to them, you mightn't get it back.

Harry Guerin

Tracklisting: Nobody's Nothing - Everyone Feels Like You - Poor Souls - The Ghost of What Should've Been - Good Deeds - I'm Not Going Anywhere Tonight - Take Care of Yourself