“I can’t go back to the way I was before, one last break of your heart you’ll take, before you close the door on me,” sings a focused and confident Arun O’Connor in his new country/rock single, “Too Far Gone”. Building a strong foundation from his lyrics and a cooler-than-you-think guitar bed, “Too Far Gone” holds nothing back. The New Zealand-based O’Connor delights in this song about facing the truth and giving things a second chance. The song is from O’Connor’s debut album, Songs from the Reading Room, and gives a quick glimpse into both the man and the artist behind the microphone.
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Songs from the Reading Room, a title inspired by the tale of a fellow student at O’Connor’s grammar school being sent to a different room to be reprimanded, is the perfect tie-in to “Too Far Gone”. The listener is given both a romantic sense of style, O’Connor is the loving type, but at the same time, he’s stubborn and not about to give into things and let up. This person has him on the fence about things, but he’s invested quite a bit of time, so it appears, in the relationship. Foolish for his own good, or a devoted lover, O’Connor plays the role of debonair country balladeer perfectly.
Between those guitar licks, echoing through his voice, is what sounds like an artist that has been bucked off the horse more than a few times. He’s drowned his sorrows in a whiskey-or-two, and that leathered and weathered voice of his still has years of charm on the outside (but rugged) patina. O’Connor enlists the lush sound of the guitar, the steady-eddy percussion and a bass line that has just the right groove to kick up your heels and dance on the Saturday night corner bar. “Too Far Gone” wraps it all into one country and rock (with a dash of Americana) gift. Each stanza is opening a new layer and chapter to the storyline. I wanted to know what was next, I wanted to feel that palpable energy emerging from the charging rhythm section. I also felt like he wasn’t just singing words on a page – he lived this life, he was sharing his own story.
Notch “Too Far Gone” as a hit. In my book, it just doesn’t get much better than O’Connor’s intriguing voice and emotional draw. He keeps you wanting for more – the anticipation that he might just let loose from the herd and take off on his own trail. I like his mix of ‘outlaw’ and honed-in country rock. He’s interesting without being aloof and relatable enough that you’re willing to spend a night out at a concert listening to this song, and being a part of the action. “Too Far Gone” is written by O’Connor, Ryan Sorestad (Jody Direen, Scotty Kipfer, etc.), Brittany Knott (Direen) and Taylor Nash (Direen). O’Connor collaborated with the songwriters via Zoom, making “Too Far Gone” proves that you can never go too far to achieve that amazing song.
Rachel Townsend