A concentrated dose of quality, albeit unadventurous, emo
Mike Kinsella has been one of the most consistently original voices in emo for decades at this point. His work under projects like the legendary American Football has already stood the test of time, and remains some of the most essential emo music to this day. His unique approach to this already well-explored genre has captivated listeners for years, and shows no signs of stopping (as of right now, at least). With his most recent solo project under the moniker Owen, The Avalanche, Kinsella has proven that he is absolutely still more than capable of crafting amazing music. Interestingly though, The Avalanche can also be seen as evidence that Kinsella currently lacks the same ear for innovation that he turned into a career of emotional and dreamlike musings in the late 1990s.
The Avalanche begins with the trio of “A New Muse,” “Dead for Days” and “On with the Show,” three tracks that lean into the most folksy corners of the style for which Kinsella is so well known. The prog-like song structures, Kinsella’s gorgeous vocal flourishes and penchant for deep reflection are all in attendance. Nothing ever strays too far from Kinsella’s comfort zone (this quickly becomes a theme for the project).
“The Contours” and “I Should’ve Known” then take a thoughtful look at how the pain, mistakes and negative qualities that people shoulder everyday can slowly erode the will of even the most independent of individuals. With “Mom and Dad,” Kinsella shifts towards a slightly bigger and more cinematic version of his usual instrumental style. Again, it would be an exaggeration to call this new territory for Kinsella, but it is definitely a welcome adjustment in the context of The Avalanche.
One of the most sparing cuts, “Headphoned,” quickly forms a contrast with the scope of the previous track, and uses simple guitar melodies to underpin a statement of loneliness. Relative to Kinsella’s other work, it feels much too limited to the surface level. The project concludes with “Wanting and Willing” and “I Go, Ego,” a lovelorn acoustic guitar-driven track, and a relatively underwhelming and largely unsatisfying ending, respectively. The sparse lyrical ideas upon which “I Go, Ego” are built are interesting, but fail to carry the entire unnecessarily long conclusion.
There’s an argument to be made for the value of artists who don’t stray too far from the stylistic choices with which they are most familiar. It’s almost a version of perfectionism; these artists have the potential to become the leading artists of their respective genre through the exploration and mastery of that very genre. Aggressive experimentation is absolutely the key to further musical innovation, but the pillars of genre that can result from seeking the highest level of performance within the conventions, tropes and limitations of that genre also represent a worthwhile goal. The Avalanche feels like one part of Kinsella’s search for that emo perfection. He has been reworking and refining this style for the entirety of his career; if the fruits of Kinsella’s personal experimentation are still this good, there will be plenty of fans tuning in for years to come.
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