On His first CD as front man, Michael O'Connor shares the bluesy side of Americana with 10 original songs and his interpretation of Willie Dixon's testosterone-laced “Same Thing.”

O'Connor rocks at times, and veers the blues to the familiar edge of gospel and almost to the edge of country. His guitar work shines without being showy, and his soulful vocals fit his thoughtful lyrics like the reflection of neon on a rain-soaked juke-joint parking lot at closing time.

The South Texas and Hill Country veteran picked up his first guitar at age 13 in Corpus Christi. He's played with his own local bands, and contributes lead guitar to Bret Graham, Cary Swinney, and Ray Wylie Hubbard. His influences include B.B. King, Robert Johnson, John Hiatt, and Lucinda Williams.

Hubbard, showing a little recognized capacity for blues interpretation, produced. He brought in a cadre of familiar musicians to support O'Connor. The core is Jeff Plankenhorn on dobro, Glenn Fukunaga on bass, and Paul Pearcy on percussion. Eamon McLoughlin adds some violin; Mike Cross adds some organ; Rocky Benton adds some harmonica; Benton, Joni Richardson, and Terri Hendrix add background vocals.

On a solid-from-end-to-end album, the best songs may be “That Ain't Right,” a guitar-and-organ-driven song about the gospel of not letting good love slip away; “A Hundred and Four Degrees,” about a moment of remembrance wrapped in the lull of ennui; and ”West Memphis Blues," a Delta-sounding caution about love and misadventure.