Throughout his career,
Geoffrey O'Connor has proven himself a fine craftsman who is always able to conjure the illusion of heartbreak from a few well-chosen notes or a perfect synth swell. As a solo artist, as the leader of Sly Hats and the Crayon Fields, and now as a duet partner. On 2021's
For as Long as I Can Remember, the slyly emotional crooner invited a number of fellow Australian artists to join him behind the mike on a sleekly constructed journey to the middle of both heartache and heartbreak. Against backdrops that conjure up the finest moments of peak
Prefab Sprout or
Lilac Time as they blend chiming guitars, icy synths, gentle drum patterns, and a layer of machine-driven reverb, the vocals intertwine like lovers on an isolated park bench. Or maybe more like the memory of nights like that, since most of the songs feel like they are made out of teardrops, scraps of fading memories, and dashed hopes and dreams. It's all pretty enough that it doesn't hurt (too much), but it doesn't exactly bounce off harmlessly, either.
O'Connor sings with all the precision of someone trying to get his memories down on the page just right, and he chooses his partners perfectly on each song too. Whether it's the smoky richness of
Jonnine of
HTRK on the title track, the pristine sweetness of
Sui Zhen on "What a Scene," the jaunty grace of Nicole Thibault on "Shelly Duvall," or the subtle power of Sienna Thornton on "Renee," everyone contributes a unique feeling or mood to the songs. It's an approach that works amazingly well. Even though
O'Connor mostly sticks to the same melancholy mood and doesn't vary the instrumentation too much, it still feels like he's sadly looking through the pages of a scrapbook detailing all the lost loves of his life. Anyone who has lost a few of their own will definitely be able to relate and maybe even shed a few fat teardrops along with the singers.
For as Long as I Can Remember isn't a big showy heartbreak record, it's a quiet, deep, and resonant one that sinks in deep after a couple listens and won't let go.
O'Connor has made his fair share of really good albums; this one just might be the best of all. ~ Tim Sendra