A refreshing mix of relaxed vocals and breathable production values, Susannah Blinkoff is brilliant at creating an atmosphere of quirky meets sultry. Her vocals are pure and her lyrics possess a sardonic, teasing quality at times. She successfully lands on her choruses, changing the tone to serious. This is the result of the serious analysis of her own songwriting—doing away with indulgence and embracing skilled collaboration of which this album is truly the result. Recorded and mixed by her producer, Rich Jacques in his living room, it goes to show you quality shines through regardless of the budget. Now that’s true indie!
Susannah was born and raised in New York City. She came from a family of singer/songwriters and wrote 8 of the 11 tracks on her new release Let’s Pretend. She has been singing professionally since she was a child and has appeared on TV, in movies, and performed in theater as an actress. She is also a screenwriter. She co-wrote the film Bellyfruit, which premiered in the LA Film Festival and ran on Showtime.
Each track has a story that only a screenwriter could tell. Track 1, “I Got Lucky,” was a result of a lone road trip to Sedona, AZ, for a mini vision quest. “All of a sudden from out of the desert there appeared these incredible awe-inspiring mountainous rocks and I heard, ‘I got lucky when I got you’ in my head.”—Susannah Blinkoff
In track 11, Susannah covered and rearranged (with Rich Jacques) a 100-year-old African-American spiritual, “The Storm is Passing Over”—a heart-warming ballad. She tenderly
sings a capella on “Texas Girl at the Funeral of Her Father.” This final track ends the album somberly. This body of work boasts a huge range, not only in vocal performance, but song selection, and is successful in creating a story. To fully enjoy Let’s Pretend, you have to listen from the beginning to the end. Susannah takes you on your own “mini vision quest.”
I give this CD 4.5 stars out of 5.
To learn more about Susannah Blinkoff, visit her websites:www.susannahblikoff.com and www.myspace.com/susannahblinkoff
Reviewed by Sean McKenzie
