Michael O'Connor Green and Blue (Bare Knuckle)

Michael O'Connor

Green and Blue (Bare Knuckle)

If there's a downside to the recent revolution in recording technology, it's that anyone who wants to, with any amount of talent, can make a CD. While Michael O'Connor shows some potential as a musician and singer-songwriter, by the end of Green and Blue it's obvious that he's still got a long way to go and maybe should have waited a while before making his recorded debut. That's not to say he hasn't composed a couple of good tunes, the country-rocking "Slips Through Your Fingers" and the bluesy, gospel-tinged "That Ain't Right" are admirably without cliché. Yet the rest of this disc, despite being produced by Ray Wylie Hubbard and filled with standout local players like Glen Fukunaga, Paul Pearcy, and Eamon McLoughlin, isn't inspired enough to warrant repeat listening. O'Connor's vocal limitations are most apparent on the ballads, where his hoarse and throaty voice strains for notes, while really saying nothing new. One big mistake was tackling Willie Dixon's "The Same Thing," which never really reaches above bar-band blooze. In the end, O'Connor proves himself a capable musician, with limited ability as a singer and songwriter, who should make sure his material is more fully realized before recording again.