Marykate O'Neil
Issue #28
1-800-Bankrupt (71 Recordings)
By Katrina Martin Davenport
Published: June 1st, 2006 | 9:09am
Marykate O’Neil is an artist with a sweet voice, biting and witty lyrics, and folk-pop arrangements in the vein of Aimee Mann. One of the standout songs on her latest, 1-800-Bankrupt, is “Things Are Too Good (They’re Bound to Go Bad),” a quippy tune that could be the anthem for Pessimists Anonymous. After going through a list of superstitions, she sings, “Jumping for joy / grinnin’ ear to ear / never been so happy or full of fear.” The lyrics are a reminder that worrying endlessly about everything is ridiculous.
Then there’s the desperate yet poignant “I Sleep With My Clothes On” about a woman waiting for her lover to come back. O’Neil sings, “I sleep with the phone next to me / drink spoonfuls of codeine… I’m counting the days / no matter what you say / you’re gonna come back to me.” We’ve all been there (except maybe the codeine part) and this song brings it back, showcasing the singer-songwriter’s knack for honest songwriting.
Most of O’Neil’s songs are about relationships and the difficult emotions that arise from break-ups and misunderstandings. But it isn’t all woe-is-me. In “You’ll Be Sorry,” she croons in a saccharine voice, “One of these days you’ll regret / September 30th, the day you left / for the new girl who always buttons up / ’cause I’m the one who’ll be on your mind.”
In the end, 1-800-Bankrupt is witty, angsty goodness.
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