It’s probably too late to inform this year’s Valentine’s Day celebrants, but we’ll issue a PSA anyways: Homemade beat tapes > homemade mixtapes, every time. So on the off chance you’re currently futzing with a tape recorder, attempting to inflict staticky renditions of your favorite songs on your date, perhaps pass them a copy of Sincerely, yours by Owen instead.
The Boston producer and engineer pens an impassioned 10-track love letter on his new project, lacing woozy beats with dialog from early 1900s flicks (plus the most quotable moment from 10 Things I Hate About You — does that count as a classic yet?). Owen calls the V Day release a “roller coaster experience,” a fitting label given the tape’s looping samples of retro romance.
Call us presumptuous, but it probably trumps whatever playlist or musical gift you “curated” for your date. Because trust us — she isn’t going to like that collection of bland folk songs from 2013, dude. Sincerely, Vanyaland.