Lots of singer/songwriters use lyrics as cheap fill for good music. Some even manage lyrics that tell a tale or convey a message. And a few elevate the lyrics to meet the plateau of the music. Enter Dillion O'Brian. Piano man, writer, guitarist and two steps beyond pissed-off.

Snatched up by recording mogul Don Was, for his work with Joe Cocker, Ringo Starr, J.D. Souther among others, O'Brian set out solo and produced his own debut album "Scenes From My Last Confession."

Vocally somewhere between Paul McCartney and Paul Simon with a folksy tinge, O'Brian's music is a richly mellow blend of folk rock. The sobering eye openers come through melodic tunes that slash away with acidic satire that has no sanctity yet never appears to be blind rage.

O'Brian isn't all cut and burn. He stops to question first as on "Something Almost Sacred" written after the birth of his son, or "Analysis Mind" that peers into the meaning of life. But when it comes to butchering sacred cows as on "Catholic Boys", he's like the Orkin Man killing roaches with one of the heaviesÉ"While Sammy's doing his confession rap/father Dan's fantasizing Sammy's on his lap."

O'Brians voice gets worn a little thin by the disc's end, but it's definitely interesting listening.

Reviewer:  Tom Elliot, courtesy of Flash Magazine.