From the opening notes of
What Happens Now, it is obvious that this is a much different project then Mike O'Neill's previous work. Gone is the bass/drum combo of
the Inbreds, replaced with a much fuller sounding arrangement. The songs are drenched in addictive power pop melodies, reminding one of
Elvis Costello and earlier
Matthew Sweet with a dash of
Teenage Fanclub's
Bandwagonesque. "I'm So Excited" and "The Real Stuff sound like something that
Jay Ferguson of
Sloan might have come up with. O'Neill shines on piano, organ, and guitar on his solo debut. Guest players on the album also include
Matt Murphy of
the Flashing Lights taking care of guitar duties,
Don Kerr of
the Rheostatics on percussion, and Charles Austin of Superfriendz fame on bass. Michael Philip Wojewoda of
the Barenaked Ladies handles things on the production end. While this is a completely different concept than work done with
the Inbreds, it is a natural progression that fans will be able to relate to and will find themselves singing along to in no time. There's only so much that can be done with a bass/drum combo before the idea goes a little stale, and while
Kombinator was an excellent release, O'Neill was wise to take a more experienced approach with this album. Sometimes melancholy, occasionally introspective, always delightful, the melodies on
What Happens Now are perfect for those looking to shake those jaded feelings about music on the market. ~ Jennifer Jones