In emo-adjacent circles, few names carry as much weight as “Kinsella.” Mike, Tim, and Nate Kinsella have had a hand in about a half dozen seminal projects— among them, Cap’n Jazz, Joan of Arc, Owls, Owen, and American Football. Their output has spanned the gamut from chaotic noise rock to gentle indie balladry and almost everything in between.
But despite this variety, none of the Kinsellas’ projects have shown much interest in standard pop music. That is, until Lies, the new project from Mike and Nate. While there’s plenty of Mike Kinsella-ness here to keep fans of Owen and American Football happy, there’s also plenty of nods to new wave, synthpop, and Top 40 that makes for an oddly captivating listen.