The King of Whys is the ninth studio album by Chicago musician Mike Kinsella under the moniker Owen.[1] Announced on May 25, 2016, the record was released on July 29, 2016.[2] The album was recorded at April Base Studios in Eau Claire, WI.[3] The first single, "Lost", was released via NPR on May 25, 2016.[4] Kinsella collaborated with S. Carey who produced the album during two nine-day sessions.[5]

The King of Whys
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 29, 2016
GenreIndie rock
Length38:20
LabelPolyvinyl
ProducerS. Carey
Owen chronology
Devinyl Splits No. 5
(2015)
The King of Whys
(2016)
The Avalanche
(2020)

Critical reception edit

Writing for Exclaim!, Adam Feibel called it "wrought with restless artistry".[2] Consequence of Sound described it as "A lush, affecting album that probes life’s complexities only to arrive at more questions".[6]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic79/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
Exclaim!8/10[2]
Pitchfork7.2/10[5]
Consequence of SoundB[6]
Engine Start Media8.2/10[8]

Track listing edit

All songs written by Mike Kinsella[9]

No.TitleLength
1."Empty Bottle"4:27
2."The Desperate Act"3:33
3."Settled Down"3:17
4."Lovers Come and Go"4:37
5."Tourniquet"4:14
6."A Burning Soul"3:30
7."Saltwater"2:55
8."An Island"4:12
9."Sleep Is a Myth"4:28
10."Lost"3:07
Total length:38:20

References edit

  1. ^ "Owen, The King of Whys". www.polyvinylrecords.com. Polyvinyl. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c Feibel, Adam (July 27, 2016). "Owen - The King of Whys". Exclaim!. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  3. ^ "Owen Announces New Album - The King of Whys". www.polyvinylrecords.com. Polyvinyl Records. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  4. ^ Gotrich, Lars (25 May 2016). "Viking's Choice: Owen, 'Lost'". NPR. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  5. ^ a b Cohen, Ian (August 2, 2016). "Owen -The King of Whys". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  6. ^ a b Brennan, Colin (July 27, 2016). "Owen – The King of Whys". Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  7. ^ "The King of Whys by Owen". Metacritic.
  8. ^ Harris, Damani (2016-08-13). "June–August Short Album Reviews". theenginemedia.portfolik.com. Retrieved 2016-08-14.
  9. ^ "The King of Whys - Owen | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.