Brendan O'Donnel's "First"
This stunning debut from awesome singer-songwriter Brendan O’Donnell sets a pretty high standard for any
other contemporary artist to try to reach. The superb songcraft, intense and unique music and gorgeous,
deeply emotive singing should be a wake up call to all that there are possibilities beyond rootsy folk stylings. O’Donnell’s voice has the spirit and beauty of Tim Buckley; his music has the rhythmic intensity and dynamic range of The Dave Mathews Band.

Every song on "First" is great, with deceptively simple and direct lyrics conveyed by a remarkable voice and complemented by a very hot band. On "Elaine" drummer Graycon Legere and basist Carlton Collier lock in with O’Donnell’s crisp and jangly acoustic guitar lines while violinist Marco Vitalli  weaves magical melodies and passionate flourishes, or brightens the groove with pizzicatto touches. "21st Century Love" shows another side of O’Donnell, with the bluesy grunge electric guitar and O’Donnell’s voice morphing into some wild electronic beast, as if he was playing his voice with his teeth or singing his guitar. The magic is further enhanced by the squealing, careening violin.

On "Concrete Wave" O’Donnell’s voice conveys an openness and vulnerability, yet supreme confidence, that is totally captivating. On "Today" the music conveys sad regret as O’Donnell sings "Lost forever,
gone today." "Cry Baby" features some incredible phrasing and O’Donnell’s sweet falsetto on lyrics like, "Well it takes a lot of joy to make me smile, and it takes a lot of love to make it seem worthwhile,
and it takes a lot of strength to say goodbye, and just a little thing to make me cry."

The emotional range and raw power of O’Donnell and band are highlighted on "Break" with rhythmic accents and crescendos that sound like Led Zeppelin’s "Kashmir."

With all it’s serious and deep poetry of regret and it’s emotional intensity, the music on "First" is some of the brightest and most liberating to be heard in years. This is the kind of CD you want to put on first thing in the morning to start your day of right. A reminder of the power of great art to enrich our lives.