New, unusual, thoughtful and funny: piano-based art/jazz pop for the young and old, naive and jaded, and in between.

6 MP3 Songs in this album (33:30) !
Related styles: POP: Piano, JAZZ: Jazz-Pop

People who are interested in Steely Dan Joni Mitchell should consider this download.


Details:
Spencer Owen (Oakland, CA) has been writing, recording, and producing self-arranged independent pop music since 1998. He sings and plays keyboard instruments, drums, guitar and bass.

He has recorded hundreds of songs, and formed, out of them, five "official" albums, releasing them himself or through independent labels (Gnome Life Records, Ballbearings Pinatas). THE LIGHT TOUCH is his fifth album and, out of all the songs and albums, his finest and most assured work.

The six-song suite, arranged around acoustic piano and carefully surrounded with rhythm and counterpoint, totals about 34 minutes. The songs are unusual, thoughtful, warm, funny, and accessible. Artists who influenced Spencer's process, among many others, and who can be heard and felt, include Jim O'Rourke, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Laurie Anderson, Vince Guaraldi, the Sea & Cake and Steve Reich.

Previous efforts were recorded at home on a cassette multi-track and then dubbed into the computer. THE LIGHT TOUCH is his first album entirely digitally studio-engineered and mixed, and for the better. Presence and clarity prevail.

Produced by Spencer Owen & Theresa Rife
Engineered, mixed by Theresa Rife
Written, arranged, performed by Spencer Owen
Recorded in Spring 2008 at UC Santa Cruz's Electronic Music Studios