PRESS RELEASE: COUSIN OVEN SHARES BEAUTIFUL FRUSTRATION ON MANOR CRESCENT
New York, NY – Cmntx Records announces the release of Manor Crescent, the third album from New Jersey/New York-based Cousin Oven. Frontman Owen Bologna along with bandmates, Steven McArdle on drums and Nathan Giordano on bass process a period of self-analysis heightened by isolation. Rife with frustration and confusion at this period in their lives, the band approaches songwriting with an insightful curiosity pointed towards their present self.
Cousin Oven’s third studio album departs from their previous concept-driven approach. Manor Crescent was an opportunity for lead songwriter, Owen Bologna, to leave the strict writing parameters he set on his previous albums behind to write a collection of songs that stand on their own. Working outside the boundaries of a concepts album gave Bologna the permission to travel down a path of deeper introspection and reflection. Armed with a newfound freedom to ruminate on memories and observe behaviors of his past and current self, an intensely emotive album with unabstracted clarity emerged.
The first single from the album, ‘Minimalist,’ embodies this new sonic and artistic approach achieved by Cousin Oven. The track wrestles with the topics of privilege and self-awareness. Bologna’s intimate and homely guitar playing is a steady voice drawing the ear in from the open moments of the song. This is surrounded by airy, tape saturated, and lyrical pads of sampled noise. In ‘Minimalist’, as in the rest of the album, a sense of melancholic discovery and deep exploration cannot be shaken.
Manor Crescent captures a frustrated and confused state of mind heightened by an intensely stagnant time in Bologna’s life. The album’s throughline is a sense of urgency and need for personal change hindered by feelings of indecisiveness. Rather than be dissuaded from seeking growth, Cousin Oven continues further down their journey of self-discovery.
Manor Crescent is out on August 12. It is available for purchase on Bandcamp and is streaming everywhere. For more information, visit cmntxrecords.com/records/manor-crescent.
