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