Blunt Objects aka Bill Owens is an artist from Tucson, Arizona. His love for music has led him to spend five-six hours a day on average composing, playing and editing. Owens is quite prolific and has released a total of ten albums over the years. Shady Shadows is his latest release and sees Owens experimenting with an art pop sound. At times the sound can feel crowded and noisy, but from what I could glean, the sound is fun and whimsical. Owens incorporates his slightly off-key vocals for an interesting take here.
Shady Shadows opens up with “My Best Friend,” where some synths come in alongside a glitchy electronic sound. Next, Owens’ robotic vocals come in. The music and vocals seem slightly out of tune, but this made for a whimsical effect. The scintillating electronics created a very interesting sound. In the background, airy synths produced an ethereal effect. From the synths and keys, I was getting ‘80s vibes on “I’m Going To Hell.” Next, when the bongos and Owens’ vocals enter, the sound conjures a very Island flavor. Though slightly off-key, you can tell that Owens is having fun here. Some keys light up the sound alongside some synths on “Uphill Climb.” Once more Owens’ singing comes in with a lighthearted and fun-loving effect. I liked the soaring sounds here and I felt myself being carried away by the ebb and flow of the music.
Some keys and synths enter the sounds on “Picturesque Decay.” Owens’ voice came across as a low timbre here. He mumbles the lyrics and I could barely make out what he is saying. This was an interesting number. A mix of guitars, synths, flute and electronic beats makes for an interesting combination of sounds. I thought the flute was a great addition. There was also a tinge of melancholy to Owens’ vocals that went on to produce a somber sound. I would’ve liked to see Owens explore more of this later on. Some shimmering guitars come into the start of this track along with some synths on “She’s Going Away.” There were tons of reverb attached to Owens’ vocals here. I liked the amount of distortion on this track. I thought it added something dynamic.
On “Where Do You Go?” I enjoyed the sound of the synthetic strings. The percussion added a lively effect to the overall sound. Owens sings with feeling. I liked the orchestral elements which I thought sounded great. On “Need To Be,” some acoustic guitar and synthetic strings arrive for a great vibe. Some percussion also lights up the sound. Owens’ vocals here reminded me of The Beatles. The vintage vibe made for a great sound. Would love to see more of this. Synths, beats and keys come in for an ‘80s vibe on “Falling Apart.” Slowly, Owens’ vocals enter. This was another moving track from the artist as he chooses to send us off with this electric and eccentric sounding closer.
I can tell that Owens is having fun here and is doing what he loves, which goes on to affect the music in a good way. Though the dissonance was a little too distracting for me at times and I would’ve liked to see less noise in the background, I think Owens is definitely in his element here when making music and his love for the genre definitely shows in his execution. Owens has definitely got something here!