Oh Susanna (the stage name of Canadian singer/songwriter Suzie Ungerleider) has released two previous albums both of which have been covered in our catalogues over the past 4 years – the dark and brooding debut ‘Johnstown’ and the lighter, more accessible ‘Sleepy Little Sailor’. This new disc is a natural follow on from the second album, but is much more substantial and balanced, ranging from instantly rewarding alt-country numbers (‘Carrie Lee’ & ‘Little White Lies’) through to subtle but powerful acoustic ballads (‘The One’ & ‘Billy’).
Musically this looks like pretty standard singer/songwriter instrumentation; acoustic & electric guitars, piano, percussion etc., but it’s individual and refreshing from start to finish – the arrangements are varied, confident and always appropriate, this is an album with a distinct feel than sets it apart from the crowd.
Suzie’s voice is strong and versatile, and she carries off rockier numbers and delicate songs equally well – the vocal performance on Zoe, an elegantly arranged ballad is simply beautiful.
With an album this strong picking highlights is just a matter of personal taste – at the time of writing ‘Little White Lies’, ‘Carrie Lee’ and ‘Zoe’ are the standouts, all three are lyrically and musically excellent, and they cover the full range of styles on the album.
At 45 minutes (12 tracks) this is just about the perfect length, there isn’t any filler here and every single track is worth its place on the disc - it’s easy to listen to the album in it’s entirety, and all too easy to start again from track one once you reach the end.
Anyone with an interest in contemporary singer/songwriters should investigate this disc, it’s easily the best of 2003 so far, and is destined for the Fish Records Essentials list in due course. 

£13.49