Brendan O'Donnell Scores on his first record
Emerging singer-songwriter Brendan O’Donnell has been compared to both Natalie Merchant and Dave Mathews.  Although these comparisons are tough to live up to, O’Donnell’s full length album, First, lends him a distinct credibility and offers are certain originality. Using soft yet powerful vocals, O’Donnell successfully wraps his lyrics around strong and at times harsh guitar solos.

There is a strong component of folk-rock fusion in many of the tracks on "First". The comparison to Dave Mathews is most obvious in "Today." The strong acoustic guitar and drum background makes up for the lack of sincere lyrics. O’Donnell is at his best during "Goodbye" a haunting ode to a love not meant to be, wherein the hurt in the singer’s voice is palpable.

Song after song O’Donnell seems to be trying to reduce any complexity in his lyrics. While sometimes this technique may simply make a song sound repetitive, "Goodbye" gets to the point without losing the intense sense of pain and regret with the lyrics, "Past loves are hard to burn/and I cannot forget/ promises you made lies/ when twisted and turned."

When O’Donnell veers into harder rock, he loses the sensitive edge that distinguishes his almost trembling tenor.  In "Break", he effectively comes across as angry, alternating from a restrained rage to a disturbing pitch.

His less soothing lyrics give way to almost neurotic diatribes. In "Cry Baby", he offers some rather dark musings such as, "So lost deep in sadness/ deeper than a grave dug six feet under/ wrestle with the pain and start to wonder/ how you managed to survive."

O’Donnell is in his element when he performs ballads, in particular, "Elaine". His encouraging and sensuous tones create a lullaby for a presumably jaded lover. "Fight This World" and "21st Century Love" both create musical lyricism with a liberal dose of violin and metallic guitar arrangements.

Brendan O’Donnell’s "First" is a good pick for those interested in some mellow, and at times, jarring music.