To follow an “office” theme this week: Owen Sartori, a singer-songwriter from, Minneapolis, MN, has been in a few bands prior to this, his debut release. The songs have some cleverly catchy lyrics and with strong melodies in the first half similar to Jason Falkner and Ben Folds. It opens with the radio-friendly track, “Could You Be The One,” and it has some mainstream break out potential with it’s melodic bass line, although it was a bit too slick for me. The follow up “The Cube” is along the same lines, but more authentic with it’s strong piano melody and biting chorus “such a cruel joke that this should be my life.” The enthusiasm on “I Knew You’d Come Along” is concrete – it’s a rich, textured single bursting at the seams, and my favorite here. The most Falkner-like track is “Punching Bag” with it’s “punchy” beat and strong boxing/relationship associations. Next, “Separate” is a great ballad with melancholic lyrics about a dissolving relationship. The quality dips a bit in terms of memorable hooks, although the funky “Hey Gorilla” and “Go On” make a good attempts to engage the listener. The amusing “Turning 30” is a rant about getting old, and not partying like your college days. The remaining tracks are missing the magic that those earlier tracks have, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying this very good album. Owen has a great future, based on this debut.
Owen’s Site | My Space | CD Baby
Listen to the “I knew you’d come along”
Listen to the “Punching Bag”