In The Feeling (Deluxe)

This is only Owen Riegling’s second full-length album, but In the Feeling sounds like a statement from a much more seasoned artist. The Canadian singer-songwriter, who dropped his debut album Bruce County (From the Beginning) in 2024, shows off impressive songwriting chops and an ear for melody on this outing, which he recorded with producer Oscar Charles (Chase Rice, Madeline Edwards) and wrote alongside respected Music Row pens-for-hire including Jonathan Singleton, Luke Laird, and Connie Harrington. Riegling shows off his narrative skills on opener “Phone Call from Home,” which is rich with images like “puffy-eyed, drinking boardwalk caffeine” and nods to Bruce Springsteen both lyrically and in its heartland sound. On the gritty “Same Blood,” Riegling toys with dark humour, comparing himself and his “stupid words” to his brother’s career in finance, while Charles’ production dips into sludgy rock. He threads that self-deprecation into closing track “Anything But Me,” though by the end of the song—and the album—he’s back on his own team, expressing a comfort in his own skin that is reflected in the album’s easy confidence.