Rating:

(71 Recordings, 2006) “I’m ready for my luck to turn around,” the phrase that gives the first song its title, is the clearly sung opening statement from singer-songwriter Marykate O’Neil on her new record. It’s unfortunate and ironic, really, because O’Neil is clearly not ready for her luck to turn around. Luck, as is commonly said, is really the residue of design, and on 1-800-Bankrupt it becomes very clear that Marykate is having trouble thinking about (much less designing) anything other than her old boyfriend. With song titles like “Stay,” “Since You’ve Been Away,” and “Secret War,” O’Neil is less than subtle about what’s on her mind. From the very first song, she’s singing things like “I’m hoping that you’ll take me back,” and even though she makes an effort to sound “over” the anonymous ex on songs like “You’ll Be Sorry,” it’s obviously that she’s not. 1-800-Bankrupt is a very sad, obsessive record, and in the end, the whole thing just sounds like an extremely unhealthy attempt to get over a boyfriend. She may even have faked herself into believing she’s over him. But you’re not over someone that you have to write an entire album about being over. When a writer is over a lover, that lover stops popping up in songs and stories; this album is almost the exact opposite, as O’Neil wallows in her memories and projects her misery onto her ex. Obsessive lyrics and an emotionally unhealthy theme don’t automatically make a record bad, though. They can make a difference, and certainly do on 1-800-Bankrupt, but there have been plenty of good records with bad lyrics. It just takes interesting songwriting/structure, or impressive singing, or inventive production, or something behind those lyrics. Sadly, there’s not really anything like that here. The songs don’t stray from convention at all. Despite all the bells and whistles (and toy pianos, etc) on the recording, they would sound basically the same on an acoustic guitar (preferably in a coffee shop). O’Neil’s singing is competent, sure, but that’s it. Her voice bears a resemblance to Madonna’s, and Madonna’s success has always been about songs and production, not her pipes. And while the production superficialy dresses up O’Neil’s songs (half of which were co-written with producer Jill Sobule), it adds very little to the overall quality of the album. In the end, though it sounds as if Marykate O’Neil and her cohorts (including Nada Surf’s Matthew Caws and massively credentialed engineer/producer Roger Moutenot) have tried very hard to make a good record, 1-800-Bankrupt is never able to escape the black hole of mediocrity, both in songwriting and sound. But maybe it will help her get her ex back.

  1. I’m Ready For My Luck To Turn Around

  2. Stay

* 3. Susan Fingerle

  4. Things Are Not To Good (They’re Bound To Go Bad)

  5. Past All The Stars

  6. Why Don’t You Visit

* 7. Secret War

* 8. I Sleep With My Clothes On

  9. A.D.D

 10. Remember The Year We We’re Normal

 11. Since You’ve Been Away

 12. You’ll Be Sorry

 13. (untitled)

* = recommended tracks

Buy album

– Kevin

This 15-beetsreview was posted on May 24th, 2006. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.