Birthmark

The solo project of Nate Kinsella, a longtime member of the Chicago indie/emo scene, Birthmark finds the multi-instrumentalist turning his experimental inclinations toward intimate indie folk and bolder alt-pop and electronic fare, often with orchestral textures. After debuting the project with the more folk- and indie rock-minded The Layer in 2007, he favored stronger, art-pop-leaning sounds in the realm of Animal Collective by his fourth album, 2015's How You Look When You're Falling Down. The long-brewing fifth Birthmark album, 2024's Birth of Omni continued further along the path of its predecessor while grappling with identity, fatherhood, middle age, and more.