2009 full length from Marykate O`Neil
featuring help from Brad Jones, Dennis Diken(Smithereens) and Jill Sobule, so the quality-stamp is all over this, as is a whole bunch of Rundgren-esque songs that dot themselves throughout "Underground" . There is even a really, really good cover of Joe Jackson`s "It`s Different For Girls" as a bonus surprise(song #4 below)."Underground ought to be the big breakthrough O`Neil has threatened to pull off for quite some time now. A record that revels in traditional pop trappings, its songs sound timeless from the get-go, bringing echoes of Carole King, Gerry Goffin and that long-ago era when the Brill Building asserted its influence on the musical charts. Indeed, in songs such as "Easy to Believe at First," "Mr. Friedman" and "Attention," O`Neil keeps her pop sensibilities front and center, bracing them with effusive hooks and a giddy school girl vocal that`s at once shy but suggestive. A capable songwriter with an ear towards tradition, she manages only one cover, a surging version of Joe Jackson`s "Different for Girls." Her interpretation finds an apt match with the rest of the material, so much so that she literally makes the song her own. Truth be told, O"Neil can`t claim all the credit. Sobule, who is assumed the role of her mentor of sorts since the very beginning, makes her presence known once again, sharing the bulk of the instrumental duties and co-writing several songs. Jones returns as well, and his signature permeates the disc as well. Underground is rousing affirmation that O"Neil has indeed arrived. It is clearly time for her to surface. "- BullzEye. "Based on the ethos of 70s-era alt weeklies, such as the Village Other, Marykate O"Neil pays homage to musicians that span the decades from Joni Mitchell to Carole King to Aimee Mann. On "Mr. Friedman" she lets her inner Chicago out (sans horns) and turns to more folksy roots (harmonica in hand) for the very next track, "Me, the Bee & the Minor." Her lush textures and coursing melodies fall somewhere in between, while her semi-satirical personal narratives land right in modern times. If you live in NYC area, she is also encrypted plenty of local knowledge that lends itself to the timeless of making underground music in this city." sentimentalistmag.com.
 Song #1 - mp3
Song #2 - mp3
Song #3 - mp3
Song #4 - mp3 | 
