On the slight, winsome Lysandre (Fat Possum), San Francisco flower child Christopher Owens emerges from the dissolution of his beloved Girls last year — an unfortunate breakup that was, however, well-timed to avoid any Lena Dunham-related confusion — with a fresh start echoing the slightly daffy, adventurous spirit of many a classic-rock-era solo debut. Recasting the ’60s-indebted stylistic diversity of Girls’ great Father, Son, Holy Ghost on a more intimate scale, and slathering on the paisley-dappled flutes and saxophones, Owens doesn’t stray far from his typical palette of heart-tugging acoustic ballads and bouncy rockers. While the songs do form a loosely narrative (just your typical wide-eyed rock ’n’ roll coming-of-age love story) complete with recurring musical motifs, the bigger aesthetic risks are less conceptual than tonal — particularly on overtly precious fare like the self-directed pep talk “Love Is in the Ear of the Listener,” the irrepressibly smiley “New York City” and cornball lite-reggae interlude “Riviera Rock.”
Sat., Jan. 26, 9 p.m., $15, Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St., 215-232-2100, utphilly.com.
