There’s some big waves coming out of the southeast Texas music scene lately, and perhaps the biggest wave that the singer/songwriters in Austin need to be watching out for is the one being made by the rollicking indie pop/rock unit Suzanne’s Band and its eponymous singer’s soulful approach to songcraft. Music has the unique capability of bringing the masses together in a way that is completely different than any other medium in the art world. John Lennon once said that this special quality is what makes music as sacred as religion, and that heavenly nature provides the backbone to Suzanne’s Band’s debut release, Breathe. Breathe takes us to a peaceful plain of contemplative catharsis akin to Joni Mitchell’s early work, and gives us a hearty sample of just what singer Mia Suzanne Walker is capable.
It might surprise you that despite her forty years of music experience, Breathe is Walker’s very first professional solo recording. But in that same turn, you should consider just what that kind of creative simmering below the surface can yield; these are unadulterated, raw harmonies that haven’t gone through the layers of production that other artists four decades into the business are forced to filter their product through. This is the meat and potatoes of organic pop/rock, and man does it sound good.
We lead off with “Down in Mexico,” a slinky adventure to the golden beaches under a southern sun. Walker really does take us there in her descriptive lyrics, and her playful demeanor gives off an almost bluesy allure not found in most of her contemporaries. The blues influences don’t come in the form that you may expect, with all of these songs devoid of any four bar predictability. Instead, the only swing you’ll find in Walker’s melody comes on “One from Two,” a poignant love song that explores the story of how we find each other and come to share a single heart, a single life, where there once was two. She articulately explains how the magic of finding that one person who gets you and everything that you’re about, even your flaws and rough edges, is the most potent joy we can find on earth, and all of that joy is reiterated in the beautiful tune of the band.
Breathe’s title track is the biggest treasure on the extended play. The song deals with how we value our interpersonal connections in a world plagued with selfishness and greed. In our most defenseless moments, we often learn the most about who we are and what we want most out of life. These moments often leave us feeling suffocated and helpless as we take bold strides in self-discovery, but it is only through acknowledging that the story of life centers on loving as much and as many as we can that we can survive to see what the next chapter holds for us.
I can emphatically endorse Mia Suzanne Walker and Suzanne’s Band’s Breathe EP as not only a must-own addition to the 2018 music catalogue, but an exciting new artist worthy of the buzz she is generating.
BANDCAMP: https://suzannesband.bandcamp.com/releases
by Michael Rand
Original article: https://mobangeles.com/suzannes-band-releases-new-music/
