It may have taken adversity to unlock the musical talents of
Suzanne Jarvie but a certified blessing lies in a therapeutic debut album
equipped to create more than a stir in the world of folk, Americana and real
country music. From start to finish, SPIRAL ROAD aches in epic portions to
paint a literary outpouring of what country music writing was born to capture.
Not only has Suzanne told her story with heart rendering emotion, she has surrounded
herself with a stellar team of players running rich in a stream of sensual soul
and tantalising twang. This is a record for any age but an important 2015 ally
in the defence of protecting great genre music from the ravages of those
seeking universal change.
The adversity was a combination of family ailments
culminating in a near death experience of a son, and an inspirational seam of
Suzanne’s writing deals with the anguish and subsequent recovery process.
Whether recalling the father serenading a coma-stricken son with Leonard Cohen’s
‘Hallelujah’ in the marvellous
masterpiece ‘Never Gonna Stop’ or the
cryptic undertone to the rocking lullaby ‘2458’,
Suzanne heads in the direction of utopian song writing and doesn’t fall far
short. The latter of this pair of outstanding tracks explicitly wallows in the
glory of the Hammond organ with the other showing that a touch of subtle rock
can go a long way in forging a sound drenched in pure Americana. However these
two songs just get eclipsed in the race for standout track by the classic
country tones of ‘Tears of Love’,
where every sinew of emotion races from Suzanne’s pen and vocals pulling the listener
in to share a blanket of comfort.
As if to use the power of song to close this chapter of her
life, Suzanne positions the Freudian track ‘Before
and After’ in both opening and closing spots, the latter classed as redux
or reprise. Maybe this new phase of her life will see a fruitful second career
develop after spending years in the legal profession. Further numbers such as
the moving title track ‘Spiral Road’
and the full on Americana sounding ‘Enola
Gay’ enhance the case of this being a record to set the standard for a
contemporary take on the immaculate fusing of folk, country and rock music.
Toronto based Suzanne was unearthed as a potential recording
talent by producer Hugh Christopher Brown and Gregor Beresford who plays percussion
on the record with among the invitees to perform on the album being fellow
Canadian roots impresarios The Abrams Brothers. They play their part alongside the other
musicians to deliver a swathe of mandolin, banjo, piano, violin, pedal steel
and organ across this 52 minute deluge of blissful production. As implied
already, Suzanne is the poetic architect of all ten tracks as well as using
Charlie Chaplin’s ‘Smile’ as an
integrated part of ‘Shrieking Shack’.
This writing is no more optimistic than in ‘Angel
of Light’ as Suzanne seeks the courage to pull through.
True to its core and inspirational in its impact, SPIRAL
ROAD will meet with approval in welcoming hip markets across North America and
Europe. The pain and hope leaping from each track act as guide to delve into a
substantial record which unveils Suzanne Jarvie as a person with a story to
tell and the skill to deliver it in iconic style. This album acts as an exemplar
of how real country music should be written, played and lived.
www.suzannejarvie.com
