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Owen

I Do Perceive
2004
Polyvinyl

Owen - I Do Perceive (Cover Artwork)

Review by: Dan Perrone
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Polyvinyl Records (link)

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Published on November 30th 2004

There are good albums. There are great albums. There are some really, really shitty albums. But every so often, something comes around that makes you realize just how much you love music. This year, for me, it is Owen’s I Do Perceive.

First off, Mike Kinsella is a musical genius. From vocals in American Football, to guitar in Joan of Arc, to drums in The Owls, and finally to his own project Owen, this man has done it all. He has a passion for soft, emotional music, and he is one of the best songwriters and lyricists of our time. His previous Owen efforts have all been very good, but have lacked something to push it into stellar status. The question now is: will I Do Perceive finally be the amazing album that we all knew Mike Kinsella could put out? You bet your ass it is.

Upon first listen, the most striking feature of the album is that it is much more upbeat than Kinsella’s previous work. Do not fear: the quiet, depressed tracks are still evident - just not as plentiful, and instead have been replaced by almost bouncy acoustic guitar tracks, very effective lead guitar parts, and huge percussion. Right away, the catchiness of “Who Found Whose Hair In Whose Bed?” makes you want to clap your ass off until the sadder bridge part comes in, taking you to more familiar territory. It’s a formula for a perfect acoustic rock song, and Kinsella pulls it off impeccably. “That Tattoo Isn’t Funny Anymore” continues the bouncy yet technical guitar riffs in the intro, and signals that maybe Mike has cheered himself up a bit, but the track quickly slows down to his patented crooning and acoustic guitar plucking.

On the other side of things, Mike Kinsella has still got some sadness to give to the world. “Playing Possum For A Peed” (what?) is an intimate and extremely emotional song about failed relationships, and it makes for the best track on the album. The emotion that Kinsella conveys through a little singing, guitar plucking, piano, and feedback is brilliant, and you can feel his pain as his voice cracks and he sings as if he is on the edge of breakdown. Around 2:40, where the guitar part gets a tad higher and he sings “And I watch you put your clothes on for me…”, it makes me want to break down myself. This song is an absolute triumph if there ever was one.

Two other songs that are worth noting are “Note to Self:” and “Bed Abuse.” “Note to Self:” boasts an awesome lead guitar riff, and HAND CLAPS. I’m sorry, but any song with hand claps is automatically awesome in my book. The extended outro of “You’re a long ways away from the place we thought you’d be by now” is passionate as all hell, and makes all 6:15 of the track extremely enjoyable. “Bed Abuse” is highlighted by absolutely huge drumming and a bigger sound than that of which we are used to by Owen. It clocks in at a weighty seven and a half minutes, but it never drags. Again, it’s different than what we are used to hearing from Owen, but it works, and remarkably.

The other tracks on I Do Percieve are not as standout as the ones listed, but are still very good tracks nonetheless, especially the rather simple “She’s A Thief.” Unfortunately, the album ends on a sour note with “Lights Out,” a song that goes nowhere for three minutes and then bursts into noise that is rather tough on the ears. I’m not too sure why this was included; “Bed Abuse” would have been a much better track to close on, with the complete elimination of “Lights Out” altogether. This alone kills off half of a star’s rating; disappointing, but not terrible.

This album hit me hard. From the first listen through, I knew I would love this. I’ve had it for over a month now, and it has yet to leave my discman/computer/whatever. Owen’s I Do Perceive is some of the best acoustic-based music around, and will find its way atop many a top-ten list very soon. Right now, it’s damn close to the top of mine. This is a remarkable release.

Standout Tracks:
“Who Found Whose Hair In Whose Bed?”
“Note to Self:”
“Playing Possum for a Peed”
“Bed Abuse”

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Posted by Ike_Ness on 2006-12-07 21:12:18

Owen could be House, M.D.'s body double. Homeboys look alike.

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 4, 2006 at 6:01 PM (EST)
My Score:

I have just read all of the comments, and like 90% of them are arguing about some other bands and Nas. I'm pretty sure the purpose of this comment box, is to comment the material presented. So in that case, I do perceive is a great album, I it never gets old, it's just one of those albums that are just awesome. You should go to one of his shows and see how he takes these songs and plays them on just one acoustic, and makes them sound even better.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, December 18, 2005 at 7:04 PM (EST)
My Score:

"I watched you put your clothes on for me,
the local pharmacist, and his wife,
and I'm convinced after your perfomance,
that his world is too big for us
and our stupid instincts,
and our stupid desires."

For anyone who actually plays music and also appreciates it, this album sets such a high standard for creativity, technicality, and originality. It only gets better with every listen. If you don't think it's good, try learning how to play "Playing possum for a peek."

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, May 21, 2005 at 9:27 AM (EDT)
My Score:

I don't know what you mean by "lyrical genius". Musical genius, yes, but lyrically, this album is mediocre at best. In fact, these are some of the worst lyrics I've seen, BUT the music more than makes up for it. I give it four stars.

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, January 10, 2005 at 6:16 PM (EST)
My Score:

annoyingly bad... almost made it thru a second listen...

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, December 26, 2004 at 7:44 PM (EST)
My Score:

Ok you win Scott. Mike is the better Kinsella.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 17, 2004 at 3:28 PM (EST)
My Score:

You must be kidding... OK, I could only listen to it once (and it's lack of complexity leads me to believe this cd is not "grower" material), but please, the lyrics are almost comical... wow, very weak.

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 13, 2004 at 3:19 PM (EST)
My Score:

Fuckin amazing!

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, December 5, 2004 at 1:52 PM (EST)
My Score:

I KNOW RIGHT? It really will be funny when your least favorite band has handclaps all over the place. Eat your words. I love your name "theundergroundscene." scary. NOT.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, December 5, 2004 at 5:54 AM (EST)
My Score:

"Mercy Medical" by Brandston also has hand-claps, and happens to be a damn good song. But yeah, "Life and Limb" is probably the best song ever recorded that incorporates hand-claps.

-Chinatown

Posted by theundergroundscene on 2004-12-03 00:27:33
My Score:

HANDCLAPS HANDCLAPS HANDCLAPS HANDCLAPS!!!

Oooooooh, scary.

I can't wait for the next thing I review that has a clapping song. It'll be glorious.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 3, 2004 at 12:23 AM (EST)
My Score:

"I wanna hold your ahnd is the only sogn that can egt by with handclaps..."

life and limb by fugazi.

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, December 2, 2004 at 7:46 PM (EST)
My Score:

"Yeah we all know that Nas has a great DIY ethic... He's always jamming econo!"

Thanks for misinterpreting an entire movement to fit your own little PC criteria.

-BSD

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, December 2, 2004 at 7:43 PM (EST)
My Score:

More self involved aural jack off.

-BSD

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, December 2, 2004 at 6:05 PM (EST)
My Score:

...I’m sorry, but any song with hand claps is automatically awesome in my book.....seriously, stop writing reviews.

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, December 2, 2004 at 3:30 PM (EST)
My Score:

um, this score is for everyone else's comments.

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, December 2, 2004 at 3:18 PM (EST)
My Score:

yeah, scott shouldve done this.

Posted by sleepwalk on 2004-12-02 13:34:20
My Score:

Unbelievable that you think the Resignation is a disaster. By far the furthest thing from it. Progress is very good, the Resignation is even better.

Posted by sickboi on 2004-12-02 13:32:17
My Score:

I wouldn't call "The Resignation" a disaster, it just wasn't "Progress".

Posted by theundergroundscene on 2004-12-02 11:44:40
My Score:

""Mates of State and Braid are both far superior to Rx Bandits"

Nupe. Where's their concept album? "Progress" smokes anything they've ever recorded."

Meh, while fun live, their albums leave something to be desired. Very hit-and-miss. And let's not talk about the disaster that was The Resignation.

Definitely no Braid. Mates of State maybe.

Posted by sickboi on 2004-12-02 09:18:23
My Score:

"Mates of State and Braid are both far superior to Rx Bandits"

Nupe. Where's their concept album? "Progress" smokes anything they've ever recorded.

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, December 2, 2004 at 3:12 AM (EST)
My Score:

one mic is the shit.

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 at 11:23 PM (EST)
My Score:

Dude, my friend already has a band called "Crippled Owen and the Fuck-me-Nots". This band ows him royalties or something.

-Ken

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 at 10:33 PM (EST)
My Score:

I wanna hold your ahnd is the only sogn that can egt by with handclaps...

Posted by SethCohen on 2004-12-01 19:08:09
My Score:

"Worst.Record Label. Ever.

At least Drive-Thru has thr Rx Bandits, every band on this label brings the crybaby-suck."

Mates of State and Braid are both far superior to Rx Bandits

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 at 4:41 PM (EST)
My Score:

Is anyone going to review the Duvall christmas album?

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 at 2:27 PM (EST)
My Score:

Hey, his caddy is a low-end luxury model. And how can you hate on a man that gets free milk shakes... whenever he wants em

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 at 1:27 PM (EST)
My Score:

"Nas is more punk than this"

Yeah we all know that Nas has a great DIY ethic... He's always jamming econo!

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 at 12:00 PM (EST)
My Score:

Nas is more punk than this.

Street's Disciple = excellent, aside from a few tracks where he tries to get all dirrty and it just comes off as weird

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 at 10:32 AM (EST)
My Score:

Polyvinyl is a very impressive label with a wide-ranging catalog, albeit not really "punk" at all.

Still, this album has been a mild disappointment for me, I was really expecting a lot and it's merely good so far. Hopefully more to come.

S30

Posted by sickboi on 2004-12-01 09:15:23
My Score:

Worst.Record Label. Ever.

At least Drive-Thru has thr Rx Bandits, every band on this label brings the crybaby-suck.

Posted by theundergroundscene on 2004-12-01 00:43:14
My Score:

""I’m sorry, but any song with hand claps is automatically awesome in my book."

You should stop writing reviews and listening to music all together. This album is good though; even better than the flaming piece of mediocrity review it got."

And why is that?

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 at 11:10 PM (EST)
My Score:

The Polyvinyl page has PEED but if you buy the album and look at the tracklist / lyrics, you'll see that it is in fact PEEK.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 at 10:37 PM (EST)
My Score:

"I’m sorry, but any song with hand claps is automatically awesome in my book."

You should stop writing reviews and listening to music all together. This album is good though; even better than the flaming piece of mediocrity review it got.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 at 10:28 PM (EST)
My Score:

Sure, one bad comment about the Sex Pistols and the whole site goes insane, but it's okay to bash this one....

This record, by the way, is awesome. Even better than the new Joan-of-Arc.

-Chinatown

Posted by theundergroundscene on 2004-11-30 21:58:11
My Score:

I meant "Is it really 'PEEK'?"

Confusing.

Posted by theundergroundscene on 2004-11-30 21:57:21
My Score:

Is it really PEED? Everywhere I look says peed.

Strange.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 at 9:54 PM (EST)
My Score:

Mike Kinsella is an amazing multi-instrumentalist, and his voice has never sounded better. I don't like this record as much as the previous ones yet, but that could change.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 at 9:41 PM (EST)
My Score:

The song is called "Playing possum for a peek". That's PEEK not PEED. If you listen to the lyrics, it actually makes sense (imagine that).

Posted by gladimnotemo on 2004-11-30 21:16:02
My Score:

I'm just saying, Scott did like some good bands...

Posted by inagreendase on 2004-11-30 20:51:46
My Score:

Who the HELL are all these bands? I'm being redundant by saying PUNKNEWS.org, and such, but....this is not punk.

Scott! Come back! Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease.

If you're complaining about the lack of Scott under a 4.5 star review of a Polyvinyl release, you really need to readjust your priorities.

Posted by Anchors on 2004-11-30 20:43:13
My Score:

Nominations time:

Best video game ever: GTA San Andreas
Best hair metal band ever: Twisted Sister
Worst user name ever: Gladimnotemo
Dumbest kid ever to own a keyboard: Refer to above.

Score's for Mike Kinsella and every musical project he's done as of yet.

Posted by backupdork on 2004-11-30 20:36:27
My Score:

oh, i need to pick this up right now.

the score is for everything Owen's released so far.

Posted by lesstalkmorerock on 2004-11-30 20:32:29
My Score:

this should be the score.

Posted by lesstalkmorerock on 2004-11-30 20:31:22
My Score:

Scott! Come back! Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease.

right. because scott will bring back real punk to this site. oh yeah.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 at 8:30 PM (EST)
My Score:

godammit! you broke the two-star streak!

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 at 8:18 PM (EST)
My Score:

stop whining loser

Posted by gladimnotemo on 2004-11-30 20:17:02
My Score:

Who the HELL are all these bands? I'm being redundant by saying PUNKNEWS.org, and such, but....this is not punk.

Scott! Come back! Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 at 8:00 PM (EST)
My Score:

this is the best review ever by the best boy ever.

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