When Susan Cattaneo’s previous album LITTLE BIG SKY was
reviewed here last year, there was a lack of clarity in where the music was
heading and the subsequent effect of her talents not connecting with a truly
appreciative audience. It is glad to report that there are no such blips with
her latest release as HAUNTED HEART is an excellent well-directed album that
has the potential to catapult Susan straight into the welcoming arms of the
Americana community.
While strong reservations existed as to whether the country
pop direction and chasing the hit was the appropriate outlet for Susan, the
melting pot of sounds such as country, blues and rock lend a perfect accompaniment
to her thoughtful song writing and versatile vocal acumen. Susan hasn’t done
herself any harm in securing the services of a stellar line up of assistance whose
resume extends from working with Lori Mckenna through Buddy Miller, Jim
Lauderdale right to Mary Chapin Carpenter. Under the guidance of Lorne Entress,
HAUNTED HEART is a delectable assortment of tunes tipping its hat to a style
where steel sits alongside keyboards and electric guitar mingles with mandolin.
Susan has every right to be proud of this lauded collection
of self-penned material which provides a stimulating 55 minutes of listening
pleasure. Taking away the bookending opening prelude and closing unlisted bonus
track, the remaining 13 songs each have their own defining characteristic and
where better to start than the twin pair of country standards, ‘Queen of the Dancehall’ and ‘How a Cowboy Says Goodbye’. Tracks like
these by contemporary artists such as Susan Cattaneo are essential to moderate
the evolution of modern country music to ensure traditions are adhered to. An
album of likeminded songs wouldn’t go amiss in many quarters but Susan’s style
is far to varied to be constrained by a single genre and this diversity is best
exemplified by the jazz/blues tones that illuminate the outstanding title track
‘Haunted Heart’ . This number oozes
with sophistication, of which a similar adjective can be applied to the soothing
number ‘Revival’.
+(photo+by+Jyoti+Sackett).jpg) |
| Photo by Jyoti Sackett |
A native of the North Eastern US and graduate from the
prestigious Berklee College of Music, Susan has successfully managed to combine
these classical influences with the rural experiences of spending time in
Arizona. The more earthy side to her music surfaces in the rootsy guitar led
blues number ‘Worth the Whiskey’, a
subject content obligatory to an Americana album and one which Susan rises to
the challenge to roughen up her style. The multifarious angles of the record
head towards conventional rock in the track ‘Barn Burning’ where keyboards and electric come to the fore. While
lots of artist similarities are mooted in the various press coverage, a more
rounded vocal style of Eve Selis springs to mind with some of the rockier
tracks. ‘Lies Between Lovers’ is
another song falling into this category.
On a softer note, Susan shows that she can also be the Queen
of the Balladeer with ‘Done Better’
just shading ‘Memory of the Light’ in
this style of song. As the album heads towards its conclusion, the slower pace takes
control as the gentler ‘Ingenue’
leads into the more uplifting ‘John Brown’,
although both tracks have a strong vocal presence which possibly exceeds their
melodic qualities. On the subject of melodies, they are probably at their
strongest on the album’s third track ‘Lorelei’,
which is the perfect follow up to what is effectively the opening number ‘Abide’. You only need to listen to a few
bars of this track to get a feel that Susan is moving in an alternative direction.
