Owl is the most tuneful work Steven R. Smith has ever made, sacrificing the Charalambides-esque drones of earlier masterpieces like Crown of Marches in favor for twisted psyched-out rock. Smith embraces his Strat more than ever for this album, soaking every track in a whiskey-soaked reverb that tends to ominously contrast with his hopeful vocals. The result is an album that can sometimes be too similar to psych-folk albums by Ben Chasny for comfort, but that never takes away the enjoyment and emotion of this stark album. Smith's most traditional, and possibly his best, album.
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