Sleepy Little Sailor (Deluxe Edition). Oh Susanna

19 Years after the original release I am listening to Sleepy Little Sailor, the second album of Toronto based singer Oh Susanna, born as Suzanne Ungerleiter.

For me Sleepy Little Sailor is a new album, so I can listen to it with totally fresh, though 19 years older, ears. Trying to remember what I listened to in 2001, I am fairly sure that I would not have been that impressed by Oh Susanna's music. Has this changed?

That answer is as short as it is clear: yes. The first notes on the album, the title song, told me to start paying attention. What I started to hear, was singer-songwriter, Americana with a touch of country songs, where each moniker gets the over hand over the others per song, leading to a varied, though serious album.

The re-release is a deluxe edition. Six songs are added in an acoustic version, perhaps the demos. That may be, I focus on the original songs and start with the final song, 'Ride On'. The kind of song that I love to end an album. Impressive, perhaps even epic. To really qualify 'Ride On' is too bare, too essential. Yet it does. It is the song that ends Sleepy Little Sailor in a grand, impressive way. 10 Minutes and a little long and not a second does not belong on this album.

Going back to the beginning, the album opens ever so hesitantly, even more bare, with a strong focus on Oh Susanna's voice. By turning the volume up a little, the result is a voice that sucks me into 'Sleepy Little Sailor' and thus the rest of the album. Brushed drums, that never go beyond that hesitating accompaniment, its the singing and electric guitar that become more confident by the minute. A few bowed string instruments do the rest. I'm in alright.

I'm not afraid to call Sleepy Little Sailor a modest album. A firmly hit snare drum in the second song 'River Blue doesn't take anything away from my impression. 'River Blue' is a great song, with such a fine chorus. The kind that make roots oriented songs great. A fiery guitar solo does the rest here. Despite the fact that I may know 499 other songs like this one, 'River Blue' is the kind that deserves that milestone 500th song spot. And then a piano solo comes in. Yes, I'm sort of in musical heaven for a few minutes.

With the two songs the two ends of the album have presented themselves. The more surprising is her choice to present a cover of  a famous song as third offering. 'I've Got Dreams To Remember', a big hit in The Netherlands a half year after Otis Redding's demise. It's good to hear Oh Susanna sing her version of this beautiful song. Perhaps my no.2 favourite Otis Redding song.

What sets Oh Susanna apart from the 1.000 other singer-songwriters who release albums in her segment of music? A good question, I just don't know really. What I do know is that I personally may not like 900 of those thousand. That may have to do that they play music that is too much country for me, it has to do with the voice, with the quality of the songs.

Oh Susanna falls into the 100 with ease. I like the slight edge in her voice, the compositions are simply alright and the musicians behind play parts that speak to me. And no, not only the guitars. It is the mix between all musicians. Hence, in my opinion Sleepy Little Sailor is an album to check out. Please do.

Wo.

You can buy and order Sleepy Little Sailor here:

https://musthavepr.bandcamp.com/album/sleepy-little-sailor-2020-deluxe


or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g