Sometimes you just need to feel sad. Sometimes you need to hear a haunting acoustic guitar fade up from nowhere to break your heart. Sometimes you have to dim the lights, pour yourself a drink and put on the second album from Owen.

Owen is actually all Mike Kinsella, who wrote, performed, produced and recorded the album in his home studio. But there’s nothing low-fi about the sound. Every song is crisp and clear, and would have to be to capture the intricate soundscapes and delicate vocals of this one-man band. No Good for No One Now is full of lonely people, people haunted by their own surroundings, people feeling unsure.

The opening song, “Nobody’s Nothing,” sets the tone perfectly as it ends with “Go grab your things/Go on, get out of here/I never asked to be nobody’s nothing.” Through the course of the album, Mike never raises his voice above a breathy whisper to sing his songs about lost loves and broken dreams. His lyrics demand it. They’re personal and detailed and, sung within painstakingly crafted melodies, give you unmistakable images.

“ Poor Souls” has my favorites. There was a time you might have looked forward to going out to a bar in the hopes of meeting someone new to take home with you that night. But not after hearing Mike’s interpretation of such events: “Long night, last call/Bloodshot eyes from drinks too tall/I breathe in deep, and I swear to God I’ll die/If I go home alone tonight/I raise my head slow/Hoping to find a girl I don’t know/But wouldn’t mind showing a good time to, feeling alright with/Doing something we might regret in the morning.”

Sometimes great albums make you feel sad. These are seven gorgeous, sad songs. It’s not dinner party music. It’s not road trip music. It is emotional and beautiful and worthy of your attention.