Christopher Owens
A New Testament
TURNSTILE
5/10
Christopher Owens is a man in love. Every single song on his sophomore solo release, A New Testament, is dedicated to being in one form of love or another. Just looking at the track list, there are three songs with the word “heart” in the title. While the theme isn’t complex, the honky-tonk drenched LP is bright and fun. Snare drum hits, soulful backup singers, and a whole lot of slide guitar breathe life into Testament’s saccharine melodies, especially the adorable “Nothing More Than Everything to Me.” The downside to Owens’s musical declaration is the same as listening to a friend gush about their new beau; they both repeat themselves over and over again. Within back-to-back songs Owens discusses his overflowing levees of love: “So much in love I might overflow” (“Key to My Heart”), and “I’ve got so much love for you, it’s running over” (“Over and Above Myself”). On Testament Owens’s wispy voice is strong, even if his lyrics sound like a broken record.
