Owen Young - These Painted Flowers

​Owen Young

These Painted Flowers
​self-released; 202

​By ​Dino DiMuro​

With his latest album These Painted Flowers, Americana-Canadiana artist Owen Young brings his magnum opus “Muddy River” to a close. He began in 2021 with the first installment called “On A Day Like That,” then released parts two and three just a couple months back. I’ve reviewed all but the first album so I’m fairly conversant with this project.

For those not up to speed, The “Muddy River” series began as a 2020 Covid project, with many of the songs composed and recorded during the two extended lockdowns. All parts are dedicated to the memory of Engineer Geoff Cooper, late of Los Angeles and New York: “Dear friend, artist, musician’s musician, UCLA classmate and gently critical listener. Gone too young.” Specifically, Young states that this final part of the puzzle “picks up earlier themes of relationships, regret, reconciliation and forgiveness, including forgiveness of self.” 

Young has also kept his players and contributors pretty much the same for every release. Young likes to present an “organic” sound of real playing, sometimes augmented with MIDI/digital elements. Aside from Young himself we have returning vocalists Beaux Young, Tia McGraff and Tommy Parham. Jill Zimmerman again engineered, mixed and mastered. As always, the albums are free to download!

The opening track “It Seems So Simple” sets the tone for this installment. In some of Young’s previous songs I’ve noted a tendency to create multilayered musical backings in a folk-Americana setting, as opposed to simple four-chord patterns. This song and the others are not technically “simple” but feel a bit more nestled in the folky idiom Young springs from. Thematically Young again turns to the joys of a close, longterm relationship and how such loving unions are simple at their core: “Lying here watching you sleep / My eyes trace the lines of your face / And my heart protects all the memories you keep.” The addition of a slightly wheezy cello and crystalline acoustic lines fill out this sweet track.

“If I Drove Down” features an old trick I’ve seen Young pull before, where his chiming guitars seem to promise a Leo Kottke/John Fahey-style chamber piece. In fact this track is a perfect example of Young’s compositional gifts, taking the song through blind alleys and sudden shifts that easily coalesce at the end (if I were to try half of these chords, I’d be hopelessly lost!). This track also features lovely harmony vocals by Beaux Young.

The familiar pipes of singer-songwriter Tia McGraff take lead duties on “Keepin’ Bad Company” with backing vocals by Tommy Parham. The tempo slows for this gentle ode to “two empty wine bottles and two empty lovers” and the beat feels like a shuffling broom or a rainstick. The arrangement is somewhat simpler this time and there’s plenty of mixing room to enjoy the vocals, piano and what could be a resonator acoustic guitar lead. 

“Lightning Don’t Strike Twice” has a country feel but within a magical cloud of waterfall-like notes and chords. Young shares the chorus vocals with Beaux Young, and it may be the sweetest singing on the album. My earlier observation that this album features “simpler” songs is called into question, as Young’s trademark compositional prowess shines brightly. It’s like a beautiful blooming flower that keeps revealing new, even more beautiful flowers within its core. I’d say this song is my favorite!

The title track “These Painted Flowers” sees Young take a vocal solo with immersive piano and acoustic guitar backing. It’s another love song (though not silly) and uses the intriguing image of a blank canvas spontaneously creating painted flower images, born out of loving times and deep conversations with a past partner. On the whole it’s a sad story, but one that Young (or we as listeners) do not regret him taking. The 80’s style sax solo was unexpected but fun.

“Wayfaring Stranger (Traditional)” is the only song on this expansive project not written during the pandemic. The internet helpfully explains that it’s a well-known American folk song originating in the early 19th century about a plaintive soul on a journey through life. Young felt this was an excellent way to (almost) conclude his epic, and elicited Beaux Young to perform lead and backing vocals. A mournful cello follows Young’s guitar and other stringed instruments. Beaux Young’s vocals feel every bit as powerful as Joan Baez or Salli Terri. This traditional song feels right at home among Young’s originals. “Epilogue” is the true conclusion, a very short, sweet and final callout to Young’s late friend. “I want you to know… that all of these songs have been about you.” Young brings all his instruments along for this final two-minute ride, and though it feels short, it’s exactly right for closing the project.

I feel like I’ve been on a long and satisfying journey with Young, but I daresay you’ll enjoy any of the installments within this series, and you can start with this one if you like. Always recommended!

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