With this album at #9, Scott Hutchison becomes the sole owner of “most featured artist” in all the Top 31s. His bands, (he’s the lead singer of one of my abosolute favorite bands, Frightened Rabbit, and now his solo project here, Owl John) have appeared on the Top 31 four times:

Frightened Rabbit’s The Winter of Mixed Drinks at #2 in 2010
Frightened Rabbit’s State Hospital EP at #10 in 2012
Frightened Rabbit’s Pedestrian Verse at #12 in 2013
Owl John’s Owl John here at #9 in 2014

This is no small feat. To have featured on the Top 31 four times, each at 12th or higher, says something. Well, it says a lot of things. It says I’m a sucker for a Scottish accent. It says I thoroughly enjoy sappy songs about love and heartache. It says I am a huge fan of Scott Hutchison.

Owl John is a bit of a departure for the singer/songwriter. Most Frightened Rabbit songs are about lost love, bad relationships, depression and pain. Hutchison paints a grave, presumably personal picture about how he is working his way through life. Where Owl John departs from that picture is in its overall positive message and happiness. These songs are about being in a loving relationship, expressing desire to grow old, and showing an optimistic side we’ve never seen from Hutchison.

The reason for that happiness is Hutchison is in love. He’s so in love, he’s recently moved from gloomy Scotland to sunny Los Angeles specifically to be with the one he loves. His entire outlook on life has changed. And he’s still able to crank out a beautiful, indie-rock record. If you’ve liked Frightened Rabbit in the past, Owl John is definitely for you. Hutchison is quick to say that Frightened Rabbit is not broken up. Owl John is merely a side project, something suggested by Atlantic Records as a way to help right the Frightened Rabbit ship that was apparently starting to bog down after last year’s massive worldwide tour for Pedestrian Verse.

Check out Owl John. This is a different side of Hutchison, a good side. One we can all get behind and feel good about. There are two other videos from this album out now for you to check out: “Red Hand” (NSFW!) and “Hate Music”. Enjoy!

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10. LP1 by FKA Twigs
11. Black Hours by Hamilton Leithauser
12. Give the People What They Want by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
13. Lost in the Dream by The War On Drugs
14. Warpaint by Warpaint
15. Heal by Strand of Oaks
16. Stay Gold by First Aid Kit
17. This is All Yours by ∆
18. Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers
19. Only Run by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
20. Augustines by Augustines
21. El Pintor by Interpol
22. I Never Learn by Lykke Li
23. Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke
24. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
25. Voices by Phantogram
26. Morning Phase by Beck
27. Hungry Ghosts by OK Go
28. Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels
29. Cosmos by Yellow Ostrich
30. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
31. With Light & With Love by Woods

2009-2013 Top 31s