Jamie O'Neal Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
At first, the cover to Jamie O'Neal's second album, Brave, is a little disarming -- with her bronze tan and blonde hair, O'Neal not only looks like Tara Reid's older sister, but looks like she's ready to leave country for pop. While it's easy to get past the initial shock of the image -- a picture is just a picture, after all, a way to bring attention to an album -- the music on Brave never quite answers the question of whether O'Neal wants to be a pop or country singer. Elements of both are scattered throughout the album, at times making for some jarring juxtapositions, as when "Naïve" with its looped drum machine butts heads with the mawksih working-class ballad "Somebody's Hero," and neither tune feels like it belongs on an album that contains such Gretchen Wilson-wannabe tunes as "Devil on the Left" and "Girlfriends" (whose call-and-response "kick ass" chorus is way too close to "Redneck Woman"). The frustrating thing about Brave is, O'Neal does both the MOR pop and mainstream country well, but they don't sit comfortably together on an album. There are too many shifts in tone and mood to make this album an easy album to hear from beginning to end and, worse of all, there's not a knockout single in either style to give listeners a way into the record. O'Neal has a powerful voice and is a sturdy songwriter who does sound good in both the pop and country settings, but she hasn't yet come up with a way to reconcile both sides within her music, nor has she committed to following one style or another. Consequently, Brave is promising and intriguing, but never quite satisfying. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Solid songwriting and powerful vocals course throughout Jamie O'Neal's debut album, Shiver. Though billed as a country recording artist, O'Neal's voice lends itself more to pop; therefore, the album comes across as a country-pop blend, with mandolins and the occasional fiddle giving it a country identity. The best cuts on the album are "When I Think About Angels" and "There Is No Arizona," both of which Mercury Records had the musical foresight to release as singles. This was probably a smart move to introduce the world to Jamie O'Neal, as almost all the remaining songs, with the exception of "Sanctuary" and "Frantic," will probably not be running through the listener's head all day at work. The mixing and engineering elements are all here and work in the album's favor, but the whole package, while not at all bad, lacks the polish of the pros. That said, Shiver would still be a fine CD to pop in while going down the road or for a quiet evening at home. As her career progresses, O'Neal's music will most surely get better and better. ~ Rick Cohoon, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Country singer and songwriter and Sydney, Australia, native Jamie O'Neal first drew major public attention in the music world with her hit single "There Is No Arizona." It's one of the strongest tunes on this album -- a song about being left behind with nothing more than a broken heart and shattered promises. O'Neal has the perfect sultry voice for this kind of contemporary country music. She also has the ability to transfer the emotions of the lyrics into each note she sings. Before recording her own music, O'Neal spent time as a backup singer and even penned songs for many well-known country artists, such as Chely Wright, LeAnn Rimes, Mindy McCready, Tammy Cochran, and many others. O'Neal co-wrote most of the tunes on this album, including "She Hasn't Heard It Yet," "When I Think About Angels," "Sanctuary," "Shiver," and "You Rescued Me." One of the songs, "I'm Not Gonna Do Anything Without You," was performed as an enjoyable duet with Mark Wills. O'Neal's husband, Rodney Good, sang harmony on some of the tunes, while her little sister, Samantha Murphy, did backup vocals. ~ Charlotte Dillon, All Music Guide
