3 out of 5

Label: Overcoat

Producer: Jerry Kee

I guess it’s sad, but I would probably give every Kingsbury Manx recording a middle-of-the-road rating.  They are such a pleasant band – wonderful harmonies, almost all of their albums captured so warmly by Jerry Kee – with just a bit of bite via a nice distorted riff or solo when appropriate, and a dash of sad minor chords to keep them from crossing over into the full-on Beach Boys happy land.  “Afternoon Owls” has a couple songs that are amongst my favorites by the Manx because they just get downright aggressive with things.  I dig their pleasant folk, but it’s so tuneful that I pay the lyrics almost no mind and just get lost on the strum-strum.  “Owls” opening track is what I wish they included more frequently on album – not just because it’s a more lively track, but because it just feels more passionate, and cutting every other song or so with something of the nature of “Half Man” would throw the prettier songs into an excellent contrast – like, I’m always awake for the songs that follow the louder ones, but then less awake the song after that, and less awake the song after that…  At five tracks, “Owls” should be filled with more solid stuff, but it’s still just a regular Kingsbury release, two eye-openers spread far apart and the rest filled with really easy to listen to harmonies played and sung by some really skilled musicians.