A Chicago math-rock patriarch who is unfortunately more responsible for emo than he’s willing to admit, Tim Kinsella, whether in Cap’n Jazz, Joan of Arc, Owls or Friend/Enemy, has managed to bottle pretension bordering transcendence. JoA never really goes away, though their sound can shift depending upon Kinsella’s multifarious interests – if you’re disappointed in their new stuff, there’s a box set that collects the historic material. On cassette. Local post-rock revivalists Mock open.
Originally published in issue #122, December 2013.