LysandreTurnstile ***

He put his interesting life experiences to good use as frontman of now-defunct indie rockers Girls, but now Christopher Owens is drawing on his band experience for his solo debut. Lysandre documents the first Girls tour in 2008, when Owens fell in love with the titular character in France. As a narrative, it's a nice idea. There are some touching lyrics pondering both the relationship and his own burgeoning career, but this short collection is often too rudimentary to be significant. For most tracks Owens relies on a wistful low-key folk, but while A Broken Heart's docility is appreciated, he sounds more compelling on the Elvis Costello-esque rock'n'roll canter of Here We Go Again and New York City, despite the latter's dodgy sax solo. Sweet, but sorely in need of some contrasting sharpness. christopherowens online.com

Download:Here We Go Again, Lysandre