Clang
2007
Careful
About This Album
P.J. O'Connell's earnestly ragged, good-time power pop has the appeal of much of the best that came before him, including Big Star, Paul Westerberg, and even that grand latter-day collective Golden Smog. "Dim Star" revels in a ponderous and grinding kind of beauty, while "Can't Get It Right" possesses a set of nimble Anglo sensibilities that seem descended from the ranks of Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, or even Rockpile, but there's a burnish and roughness around the edges that is unmistakably O'Connell. "Walked Away" is simply power pop par excellence done up O'Connell style. The guitars throughout the album all have a grit, a twinkle, and a twang that provide ballast for the songwriter's knack for crystalline melodic twists. (Here, the six-string is the gravel beneath the wild sunshine of O'Connell's songcraft.) O'Connell also employs his friends NRBQ to back him up on the (you guessed it) NRBQ-ish, "All This Time." From his days in North Carolina fronting the Flying Pigs to his numerous collaborations and two previous solo albums, O'Connell is an Americana power pop auteur on a journey that keeps getting more and more beautiful with each release. Careful is simply terrific from end to end. ~ Erik Hage, All Music Guide
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4 and 5)

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