Susan Barth

If you are not yet familiar with her name, Susan Barth is an assured success. The extremely sensual and quasi intellectual rebel- bohemian voice of Susan Barth will haunt you. And talking about personality! Barth wrote the book on the "je ne sais quoi"! You would like to be in her company. She is down to earth, practical, sophisticated and a bohemian chic. Her publicist sent us her CD "WONDERLAND". God! another CD! We did not finish yet shoveling the bags of CDs and CDs and CDs we got this week. But, curiosity killed the cat.

This time, it was us, not the cat. But Barth's "Wonderland" did not kill us. We loved it. Barth's voice is a teaser. You feel in her voice the intimate whispers of a real woman. Her genre reminded us of the sixties but, her vocal projection is up to date. Meaning, Barth has a "modern voice", a tempo in her phrasing and a delightful vocal virtuosity. Hippy on the edge when she screams and romantic when she flirts with her tunes. Growing in New Jersey, Barth acquired her first guitar from her brother who earned it by selling Christmas cards. It was on this instrument with strings rising perilously above the fretboard, that she wrote her first songs. The music of Rickie Lee Jones and Carole King sparked an emotional resonance and the Beatles supplied a lifetime of ideas about crafting concise, harmony riddle pop songs. Skipping the school to take the train into Manhattan revealed an alternate universe. "It was a far cry from the white bread suburbs where I grew up." Barth said. But California was even further. Once in Los Angeles, she committed herself to songwriting and began creating an ever growing catalogue of songs and developing a network of musicians from the bands of Rickie Lee Jones, Bonnie Rait and Macy Gray, many of whom and occasionally perform with her in Los Angeles club scene. Barth got recognition. He is the recipient of several awards, including "Billboard Song Contest" 2nd Place Alternative Category; ASCAP: 4 Songwriting Merit Awards; Unisong Finalist; Music Dish: Best of Batch and Artist of the Week"; Garageband.Com: Track of the Day.

Barth is a sweet, tender, explosive and multi talented free spirited singer. A lovely character too.

Susan Barth' "Wonderland" is a delightful collection of songs delivered with friendly vibes, warmth, originality and that sensual teasing voice. You will enjoy it, if you are in the mood for and ready to re-sail in your nostalgic escapades. The musical arrangements are well crafted, the acoustic guitars added an ultra sensually vibrant ambiance and the voice of Barth enrobed the whole thing with charm and feminine negligee elegance. Barth is a solid, free-spirited and captivating singer. Although, sometimes her voice trembles in a few bars and squeezed notes, it remains sparkling in emotions and inner sensitivity. With patience and continuous audacity, Susan Barth will make it big time. But who knows, when and how? Only time could and would tell. And that's all for Susan Barth, now.- By Maximillien de Lafayette - International News Agency

Wonderland is Susan Barth's most recent release and one of the best written, performed, and produced albums we've received to date. The album features eleven highly commercial tracks each featuring startling examples of informed and innovative songwriting and positively enhanced musicianship. Susan's mentors include The Beatles, Carole King, Aimee Mann, and Rikki Lee Jones but that's not to say that her work is a combination of all four.. no.. it's a combination of Susan Barth with little hints of those influences subtley sprinkled here and there to make one hell of an album even more vibrant and colourful!

Wonderland is the opening track that instantly persuades you that you are listening to a firmly established songsmith who's just at home in the studio as she would be in her living room. I love the lyrics to this song.. casual, slightly introspective, but incredibly colourful and commercial. In a recent conversation with Sue... I mentioned how disturbing it is for me to hear an album of this calibre and not be able to find it being heavily promoted at my local high street record store by some gigantic and forward thinking label. The drums, guitars, and bass on this track deserve additional praise for being so perfect for the vocals and lyrics... dead clever job guys! Almost did it actually reminds me a little of some of David Bowie's finest songs that emerged in the 70s and 80s and 90s and... Susan has a brilliant song here... superb musicianship, superb lyrics, and a very nice little guitar solo to add more gloss toan already well packaged track! Matters follows on the already established Barth tradition of excellence in songwriting.. nice bright guitars accompany a wonderfully charged vocal technique for such a mood driven song. If I was Susan... I would have been walking on air when I left the studio after working on this little epitaph from the heart!

Over there is a very thought provoking objective/subjective tune with an amazing arrangement set to a mild mid tempo but with truly amazing lyrics that no one else could possibly engage in quite the same way as Susan has. The guitarists on this track really should be neighbours of mine... then again... they'd never get any peace! Grammys meanwhile, takes the artist's perspective of that prestigious awards event a few light years ahead of where anyone might have previously explored before. Susan has basically captured those thoughts that have been on every aspiring artist's mind in watching the Grammys and made those thoughts work expertly in song. It's a beatiful song really... lovely guitars, passive vocals, and highly engaging lyrics and again, only Susan could have pulled this one off so majestically!

Waking up transcends the art of expertise in songwriting a few leagues higher than you might have expected. That's one of the things about this entire album... each track has something superb happening and you just can't wait to see what's coming next. I should make the point about how well the harmonies have been arranged and performed throughout this album... this track highlights that fact even more. Watch out for the lovely accordian folks! So tired of you is quite a theatrical production... and it's very easy to imagine this track being performed live to absolutely relentless applause! Guitar and bass work is outstanding and God knows how the drums on this track managed to hold it all together... brilliant! After all has some of the most beautiful lyrics and cello arrangements you have ever heard in your life sprinkled over equally beautiful vocals and nicely paced rhythms. This is my favourite song next to Wonderland.. no... I loved Matters... but then Waking up was brilliant... anyway... buy this album if you've got any sense!

She's there is a nice jangly guitar track with lovely keyboards blanketing Susan's voice and this is where you recognize how truly versatile that voice is. She's there is a superb song... dead clever... and an absolutely welcome vaccination for the 'bored-with-alotta-pop-these-days sufferers.... and without artists like Susan Barth... we'd all be suffering a great deal! Losing my way has everything you'd want to find in a shining example of where modern songwriting should be going. It's a brilliant song that has been sensibly produced in view of the fact that there is so much going on all over the place. Here you have some truly fine synchronicity between the musicians and it shows in the power of the overall presentation. Another one that would excel on any stage!

It's love highlights Susan's vocal and writing talent that firmly establishes her as one of the United States of America's finest female songwriters... it's not a bold statement folks... it's a fact! As the final track on the album, It's love is the one that makes you wish there were more to follow... that's the secret of all astonishing artists... they just make ya drool for more... and now all this girl needs is for the rest of us to keep drooling so that she can quickly respond to our needs and desires! Buy this album... but only if you like listening to electrifyingly brilliant female singer songwriters!

Colin Lynch - February 09 2004
- Colin Lynch - International Online Music