Claiming to be of a chaotic nature, Brendan O'Shea's peace seems to exist in his music, and his second CD, "Be Here Still" is particularly marked by its tranquility.

Without introduction, "Tired Eyes" sits down on your couch for a bit of a chat. The result is less like listening to a CD than like catching up with an old friend. There is a sense of familiarity that O'Shea brings to his music that invites the listener into his experience.

"Everyman" seems to be the lead character in each of the songs on this CD, being both everywhere and nowhere, experiencing everything and nothing at once. O'Shea's songwriting style is very pointed – each song is very straightforward and open about its intent – but the listener gets the sense of a deeper connection there as well. The songs are also about the collective you — about your stories as much as about his own. His lyrics casually mention ideas that inspire revelations – we all know "someone who don't mean much to you no more." We just didn't realize we did until he said it.

As the title hints, this album is deeply imbued with a nostalgiac longing. The phrase rings out in two of the songs, "Still," and "Our Place" ("I wish there was a place where we could go and be here still.") Surely, everyone who listens to this album has felt similarly. O'Shea's nostalgia seems not to come from an unfulfilledness, but rather from a contentment. Once having found oneself in a safe and happy place, the mind now seeks to revisit the journey that got it there.

The songs all cross-reference and nod to one another effortlessly, with the effect of producing a very tight thematic disc. A recurrent theme of fire tends to tie to the idea of a yearning – "we put out the fire but there's smoke rising still from the embers in my heart."

Marked by soothing cadance and relaxing melodies, songs like "Halo," with its religious connotations, and "Voices" really showcase O'Shea's comforting vocal tone.

"No Mystery" is a powerfully (and perhaps ironically) enigmatic song that is given even more weight when combined with the music video by director Karen Gehres. The cinematography combined with the lonesome guitar and the searching strains of O'Shea's voice easily make this song a masterpiece.

Though the overall effect of the CD is tranquility, O'Shea exhibits his ability to mix things up. Fleshed out with very "full" drums and an insistant bass line, "Smoke" brings to mind Natalie Merchant at the start of her solo career. Interestingly enough, O'Shea has performed as support to 10,000 Maniacs, the band from which Merchant took her leave to pursue her own avenues.

Mark Geary joins O'Shea in the light-hearted "Pull Your Socks Up." Their vocals combine beautifully for this catchy feelgood tune that they co-wrote.

The end track, "Next Time Thru," though intended as a straightfoward farewell to old friends, transcends the literal and works beautifully as a metaphor for the final goodbye, which is the mark of a good writer. The line "slow down, son, slow down," serves as a reminder to all to live life as it comes and to not try to race to the finish. The song is a perfect way to end the journey on which O'Shea has taken us.

"Frame up my friends, we are in this for life." A lovely snapshot of O'Shea's musical abilities.

A brief note: Trying to write about this CD is like trying to explain to someone what makes your friend so special - unless you became familiar on your own, you'll never fully understand.

Be Here Still was released in 2006 on Two Mile Music BMI. It is available from CDBaby and as a digital download from Amazon.com and .

Natalie Herman provides content for Paddy-Whacked News