Christopher Owens – Lysandre

Despite quitting last summer, it seems Christopher Owens isn’t quite ready to leave his time in Girls behind, with his solo debut loosely inspired by his former band’s first tour. Running just 28 minutes (that’s two minutes shorter than Girls’ Broken Dreams Club EP), Lysandre is an undeniably slight work from the prolific songwriter, but it’s fecund with ideas and charm.

It opens with the brief but integral Lysandre’s Theme – a pretty flute motif that establishes the record’s wistful, sometimes whimsical, tenor. If the theme’s medieval undertones are a turn-off, however, brace yourself: variations resurface with bold regularity (a sax version on the Eels-like New York City, a keys take on the yearning A Broken Heart, and so on). But while some will consider the melody excessively deployed, others will toast its unifying effects; weaving through tales of introspection and self-doubt, it fosters a winsome and captivating sense of harmony.