The Underground of Happiness

Owensie’s third album takes a thread from his previous record Citizens in 2012. On that, he dipped his toe tantalisingly into a kind of socially conscious bossa nova style, picked Spanish guitar front and centre in the mix, hushed vocals a la Elliot Smith and wonderful reed arrangements. (Arguably even better was his Christmas charity single that year ‘The old breadline’, a deceptively breezy slice of social realism and a compulsory companion piece to the album.) While Citizens had a certain sense of trying the style out for size, Dramamine follows through magnificently with conviction and a series of glorious pop moments. None more so than on the utterly beguiling title track. The same elements are present – picked Spanish guitar, delicate, reaching harmonies (featuring Conor O’Brien of Villagers), droning reeds in support. The tempo though is a shade quicker than before giving the song an extra urgency, culminating in the marvellous wordless vocal interludes which drift ov...