Album Review: Susan Cattaneo - "Haunted Heart"
If there’s only one thing you do with your day today it should be to listen to THIS album. As the fourth studio release for musician Susan Cattaneo, Haunted Heart is her first release with entirely original material. These songs are so successfully written and composed it makes you wonder why it took her this long to reveal just how talented she really is.
Whereas her previous albums had a tendency of falling in the modern country vein, this one takes a step back into a more traditional, old-fashioned category. For the most part, she sticks to the typical topics of country music, though she does well to make them her own. In “Worth The Whiskey” she sings of an ex who has begun relying on alcohol after he cheats on her and she kicks him to the curb. There’s a jangle in her voice when she really digs into a note that has a way of bringing each consecutive line and song to an entirely new level. With the combination of her vocals and her song compositions as a whole, she has supplied listeners with a fully compelling, authentic release.
Cattaneo’s ability to formulate prose is top-notch, a fact that is revealed quickly within this release. She sings of a cowboy soon to leave her side in “How A Cowboy Says Goodbye, singing, “The moon holds the mesas in a silver glow, the stars hold fast the night. But everything must have a letting go, ‘cause dark gives way to light.”
“Done Better” features male backing, a facet unique to the album. With her warm, Lucinda Williams-esque tones, his adjoining soft vocals and the accompanying piano melodies, the duo have created a stunningly beautiful collaboration. From the sauntering tones of “Queen of the Dancehall” to the up-and-get-em vigor of the instrumental final track “Hidden Heart,” Cattaneo has revealed all sides of her musical personality.
Because none of these songs are especially fast-paced other than her instrumental, it would be interesting to hear a sampling of that type of music on her next album. Otherwise, she’s pretty much hit the nail on the head with the perfection of her sound. This is an album rich with outstanding, noteworthy songs, and there are more than a few you definitely won’t walk away from this release forgetting. Some of these most impactful tracks include “Lorelei,” “Worth The Whiskey,” and “Done Better.”
There are some albums that resonate with a timeless, classic air; they’ll always be around and they’ll always be considered noteworthy. Haunted Heart is one of those releases. With the equal amount of attention and talent put into this album, it’s hard not to be impressed by the results. Cattaneo has found her niche, and she’s able to convincingly sell it to listeners of both the Americana and pop ends of the country spectrum. But even if you aren’t a fan of those genres, there’s still something to say about how compelling these tracks are.
Review by Alec Cunningham
Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
