Sean O'Brien and His Dirty Hands - Risk Profile

by Malcolm Carter

published: 29 / 7 / 2014

Label: First Cold Press
Format: CD

Versatile but over-experimental latest album from Californian musician Sean O'Brien and his group His Dirty Hands

Review

Following on from 2012’s well received ‘Future Harvest’, Sean O’Brien, the former singer/guitarist for several California-based bands stretching back more than two decades, has again assembled a diverse set of songs that skip from one genre to another. There’s nothing wrong with that of course; it shows that O’Brien has a fertile musical vision but it can make for uncomfortable listening for newcomers to his work, at least until his more adventurous work is given time to sink in. Let’s just hope that the more immediate tracks are the ones that potential buyers hear as O’Brien does have a lot to offer. ‘Torn Down and Hauled Away’ is one of the songs that needs a little easing in to. The only song on the album that is a co-write (with Jeff Kane, the now sadly departed Dirty Hands guitarist and producer) the song is an atmospheric soundscape of ideas, O’Brien’s vocals sounding not unlike the Eels Mark Everett at times. In fact there is more than vocal similarities here. There is an Eels vibe about the song albeit verging on their most experimental work. While we have come to expect the unexpected from O’Brien and there are some brilliant songs on ‘Risk Profile’, he does push the listener’s patience at times. While it is to be applauded that O’Brien covers so much unconnected ground on his albums there’s also the risk that he is going to alienate just as many potential listeners as he satisfies. O’Brien follows ‘Torn Down and Hauled Away’ with the jazz-lounge of ‘The Addict Demands’, sounding this time not a million miles from Tom Robinson vocally and that’s another problem or advantage depending on your view. Do you want an album where the singer barely changes vocally, a safe album if you like, or do you like your music to be challenging? The problem is that there are few occasions where O’Brien sounds like O’ Brien; where you feel the singer is displaying his true voice, but there are many times when you feel you are listening to a perfect copy of one of your favourite vocalists. ‘Post-Recovery’ is a fine stab at power pop complete with handclaps but is it really the same band that you’ve just heard playing that jazz club? Both songs are executed perfectly, but lounge to skinny tie in the space of two songs? It feels like O’Brien is so full of ideas, more often than not brilliant ideas, but trying to cram them all onto one album might just restrict his audience instead of widening it. On the plus side there’s certainly more diversity than you’ll likely to find on any other out there just now. You have the choice to decide which O’Brien you appreciate the most, and you’re certainly never going to get bored by hearing the same song twice over the course of the album. On his last album O’Brien saved the best for last. ‘Sister, I Have Fallen’, which closed ‘Future Harvest’, was a brass heavy soul ballad that was unlike any song that had gone before on that album. O’Brien has played the same hand here; ‘Blind Advantage’ which closes ‘Risk Profile’ is another track where O’Brien outs on his soul cap. This time the backing is more a sombre Mott The Hoople, but it again displays that O’Brien is capable of tackling almost any musical style and winning. If only O’Brien would make the classic power pop album that he has shied away from so far; ‘How I Hate That Hand’, Final Say’ and ‘I Can’t Say No’ are all the proof we need to know that it’s hidden away in there somewhere. Then he could move on to make the more experimental album that is also so obviously close to his heart. If O’Brien had cut this album down from a dozen songs to nine or ten, it would have worked so much better. As well-crafted as his experimental forays are any musician who can surround them with songs as beautifully sung, played and produced as ‘Watch It Heal’ must also understand that, while combining such varied styles of music might be satisfying to him personally and also impress those who are on his wavelength, he is also possibly losing out on potential fans who really do deserve to hear him when O’Brien is plying his own unique brand of pop.

Track Listing:-

1 Rehabilitated (I Want You)
2 Final Say
3 How I Hate That Hand
4 I Can't Say No
5 Some Fight in Me
6 Torn Down and Hauled Away
7 The Addict Demands
8 Watch It Heal
9 Post-Recovery
10 Painted on Glass
11 The Sugar Will Do You In
12 Blind Advantage
13 Thanks Mary (Deluxe)
14 Painted on Glass - Sunshine J
15 You Tore Me Down - Flaming
16 Valerie (Deluxe)
17 Stumblebum - Live Radio Ses
18 Shadow Sharks - Live Radio Se
19 How I Hate That Hand - Live R
20 Tranny Ignored - Live Radio S