Many thanks to musical Renaissance man Bill Bentley for including “Vanishing Act” in the Bentley’s Bandstand end-of-the-year roundup of recent releases:

Edward O’Connell, Vanishing Act. Can the swinging scene of Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello circa 1978 live today without sounding dated? Without a doubt, if Edward O’Connell has anything to do with it. His first album released four years ago hinted that something was stirring in our nation’s capital, but didn’t quite hint what O’Connell has captured today. It’s a sneak attack of rock proportions, full of zest and smarts and just plain rock certitude. Without going overboard, the songwriter zaps the synapses of love and luck and everything else that makes life a pulsing puzzle, and does it with an energy that hasn’t been quite heard before. For out-of-left-field surprise, color Edward O’Connell pop purity for people now. Nick Lowe would likely approve.