It is acknowledged in the industry that a good pop artist is one who can create
music that is appealing to large audiences, yet can maintain a style that is unique to the
artist. This is exactly the vibe on What Happens Now?, Mike O’Neill’s latest
solo effort. With the help of a few friends from various Canadian alt-rock bands,
including Charles Austin of Superfriendz and producer Michael Phillip Wojewoda of Barenaked Ladies, this
former "Inbred" has created an exquisite album complete with catchy tunes and clever
lyrics. This pop-rocker, who has been compared to the likes of Elvis Costello and The
Who, has come up with a nice little twelve-song package that is pleasing to the ear and
provocative to the mind.
O’Neill has come a long way since his days with The Inbreds, a two-piece band
that shocked the critics with fuzzed bass and drums. What Happens Now, if
nothing else, has a fuller sound than O’Neill’s previous musical endeavors with a few
more instruments (which really doesn’t say much) and some nice vocal harmonies.
The
briefness of O’Neill’s songs keeps the listener interested,
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accompanied by satisfying
chorues and short instrumental breaks.
In “Something Nice", a quiet waltz that uses a
small string section, the song is kept simple with a guitar, piano, and O’Neill’s modest
yet pleasing voice. Not even two and a half minutes, the song is short but sweet.
Complementing this is the song “They All Like Him", which is a more up-beat, backed
by a chorus of ooh’s and driven by a straight rock beat. Much of the music on this album
is mellow, almost folky, in cases such as “Camera Shy" and “The Real Stuff". One may
discover that the most impressive aspect of this album is the way the music is simple yet
fully complete in all areas. Topped off by O’Neill’s brilliant lyrics (he also wrote all the material for the Inbreds) and
other instruments (such as the organ) incorporated into his songs, What Happens
Now is a real jewel in the unpredictable world of pop music.
By Betsy MacDonald, CanEHdian.com 2000
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