SUZY CONNOLLY – NIGHT LARKS
- Author:
- Cameron Barnett
- Posted:
- Tuesday, 7 February 2012
It could be said that Suzy Connolly is merely another pleasant-but-plain singer-songwriter of which there seems to be an inexhaustible supply. However, what separates this Sydney artist from the pack is her revival of the sounds of mid-century rock and pop with the aid of producer/musician Josh Schuberth. From the whammy-bar guitar wavering on Gold to the slick surf-rock of Skydive, Night Larks seems determined to present Connolly as a sort of Australian Nancy Sinatra or, with Schuberth in tow, another She & Him-type outfit. It isn’t all just retro production at play, though – Connolly clearly has a clever way with words. Aside from name-dropping references to Ray Davies and the Kinks in Best In Life, the line “I’m a casualty of you / from a casual tea for two” from Casualty Of You is an example of Connolly’s bittersweet take on relationship strife, a theme which permeates much of the album. This all reaches a sweary climax with the powerful final track Sea Dog, an album highlight. Tales of love and emotional woes set to music are obviously nothing new, but Connolly has utilised deft lyricism and quirky production to lift her debut offering above a lot of the other plain pleasantries.
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Story posted on Tuesday, 7 February 2012, filed under CD Reviews. Follow responses via the RSS feed.
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