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P.J. O'Connell - Dream Life
Review by Rick Cornell, Miles of Music
It just wouldn't be right to talk about solo pop/rockers without sending a good thought in the direction of one of the best, Dave Edmunds, who's recuperating from heart surgery. P.J. O'Connell, along with kindred spirits like Terry Anderson (whose third solo release is due out soon on Not Lame) and Brian Waldschlager, can be considered a contender for the title of the Yank version of Dave Edmunds. O'Connell, leader of Central Carolina faves the Flying Pigs in the '80s, launches his new Dream Life with rocket fuel in the form of the old rockabilly rave-up "Please Give Me Something," a  tune that Mr. Edmunds could certainly sink his teeth into. "The Hardest Job in the World" showcases O'Connell's fondness for the bar-pop lilt of fellow New Englanders and pals NRBQ. He then gets twangy during the middle third with "New Orleans," "Nashville," and "The Dakotas" -- the bookends serving as tributes to Gram Parsons and John Lennon, respectively -- and truly soars on "Angel 10/11," a reprise from the late '90s posthumous Flying Pigs release Desi and his best composition to date. (And, pssst!, check out Edmunds' recent live album, A Pile Of Rock.)