• Band / Artist : Camp Susannah – mySpace
• Genre : Pop / Rock
• Sample Track Download : Too Small
• Buy CD : CD Baby
• Buy Digital Download : iTunes
• Rating : 7.5 out of 10

I know I’ve been known to sit on submitted CD’s for a while, but this 2004 release hasn’t been on my in pile for that long, honest. You may think, what am I doing reviewing something that’s over 3 years old? Well as I always say “It’s all about the music”. I first heard Camp Susannah on the Next Big Hit podcast, approached her for a review copy of her latest album and this is it. I noticed that the albums release was in 2004, but for me it’s not an issue. If you like it, you’ll buy it. We do that with the Beatles and Pink Floyd all the time, and we’re talking upward of 40 years there.

The immediate thing that hits you when you hear Susannah’s voice, apart from the wonderful tone, is the clarity. Musically there’s a strong hint of the 90’s, electronic sound. Whilst it does date itself, it still manages to sound fresh.

“Way OK” is the track that greets you once you hit the play button, and while I feel it isn’t one of the stronger tracks on the album, it does serve to ease you in. “Happy Today”, the title track builds on the opener very well and has some wonderfully atmospheric accompaniment. “Talkin’ to Myself” immediately started ringing bells in my head, reminding me of Massive Attack, in particular Tracy Thorn. However the track really comes alive when you get to the chorus, when you sense that Susannah’s voice really begins to let go.

Whilst I really enjoyed this album, I did feel that at times, the music tended to drown out the wonderful vocals. The electronic elements, also tended to overshadow things at times, but I hasten to add, that I listened to this album, the majority of times using headphones, so maybe that added to the sometimes overwhelming experience.

I have to give a special mention to “CoulDJa WoulDJa” featuring what sounds like a voxcoder. Also “Fingers Crossed” with it’s relatively stripped back sound, when compared to the rest of the album and “Catch Me”, where Susannah’s voice gains the majority of focus and even gains that hint of raw sexiness. An alternate version of “Way Out” concludes the album and for me is a much more interesting version.

Conclusion : A wonderful album, that’s a little overbearing in places, but still manages to shine.