ANDRA SUCHY
Little Heart
Red House 252

www.redhouserecords.com
 

Andra Suchy grew up on a farm in North Dakota. Both parents were singers and, as a child, she sang in the family band. She’s part of the all woman country/folk trio The Dollys, sings on commercials and in the studio as a backup singer, most notably with Soul Asylum, and has been a regular performer on Prairie Home Companion for the past few years. Little Heart is her second album (the first was the self-released Patchwork Story) but it’s the first to get national distribution. Suchy’s music is pleasing mix of country, rock and blues influences, with lyrics that explore the subtle nuances of relationships with a keen eye for detail. Good songwriters have a knack for composing tunes that sound as if you’ve known them all your life. Suchy and her co-writer Andrew Pierzina do just that on the majority of the songs here. “Simmer and Glow” sketches out a relationship where the combination of love and selfishness is driving a wedge between the lovers. Suchy’s vocal is so full of pain and tension it’s almost hard to listen to. “You Can Keep It” is a bright bit of pop bluegrass that contrasts an ironic wish list of everything we tell ourselves we need to do to be happy – lose weight, upgrade the wardrobe, make more money – with the only thing we really need, true love. The album closer, the simmering, bluesy “Come On In,” is an invitation to good times that features some stinging guitar work by Pierzina. The lyric promises good times and satisfaction, but there’s a hint of darkness in the arrangement that gives the song a melancholy feel. Suchy does one cover tune, Neil Young’s “Helpless.” It’s not as strong as her originals, although the gospel flavored vocals give her a chance to show off the emotional power of her high end.

— j. poet