Music, Record Reviews

New Record: Susanna, Sonata Mix Dwarf Cosmos

Posted by: Johnny Loftus on August 30, 2007 at 10:25 am

susanna.jpg
SUSANNA, Sonata Mix Dwarf Cosmos (Rune Grammofon, 2007)

No Dolly Parton covers here, no transformations of AC/DC classics into the stark chant of a mystery cult. No, on her solo debut, Norway’s Sussana Wallumred eschews the pop interpretations she explored with Susanna and the Magical Orchestra (including “Jolene” and a jarringly spare version of the beery Bon Scott stomper “It’s a Long Way to the Top”), and instead concentrates on a clutch of originals that feature her graceful, studied vocals and the slightest acknowledgment of melodic structure.

The music here is typically down-turned, full of muted piano chords and bowed guitars; a harp completes “Hangout.” There’s the subtlest influence of cabaret jazz in Susanna’s vocals, particularly on selections such as “People Living” or “Born in the Desert,” but there’s no real genre apparent Cosmos — it’s more an album for listening and reflection, which is certainly encouraged by producer Helge Sten, aka noted electronic musician and sound artist Deathprod. Sound itself is an instrument here, from the way Susanna’s words dissipate in her throat like breath on a cold day to the theremin that shimmers in the depths of “Intruder,” the alien greeting that opens the album. “Better Days” has a bit more structure in the melody — with a little bit of percussion, it would suggest the earliest Sarah McLachlan material — and “Demon Dance” is folk music from the moody tradition of Northern England. But it’s the most fragile material here, songs like “We Offer” and the gently foreboding “Stay,” that stir the most emotion, since they represent the record, and Susanna, at their most intimate.

– Johnny Loftus

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