★★★☆

Mike Kinsella may have achieved cult status off the back of a solitary LP – 1999’s eponymous effort from American Football – but under no circumstances has he rested on his laurels because of that.

In fact, his solo career – under the moniker Owen – has come close to eclipsing the legacy of his previous band several times, forging his way into a distinct offshoot of alternative folk as paved by his emo and math rock leanings.

The King Of Whys is Owen’s eighth full-length, and there are certainly recurring traits that suggest Kinsella has found a comfort zone – his sleepy vocal delivery and unique tunings on his acoustic guitar play as vital a role as they ever have. There is, however, an unexpected variable in the form of King’s producer, Bon Iver alum S. Carey. Their team-up allows for a best-of-both-worlds tessellation of styles – take, for instance, Kinsella’s quaint fingerpicking matched to Carey’s sparse piano and ricocheting drum samples on ‘Tourniquet’ – and both artists are all the better for it.

Lavishly constructed and smartly arranged, The King Of Whys sees Owen continue to manifest hazy-eyed delights with enough twists to keep it interesting after all this time. Long live the king.

Owen’sThe King Of Whysis out now via Polyvinyl/Witchita.

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