home   site updates   review digest   reviews   featured artists   links   about us  
   
Description
Current concise reviews of the albums by adult alternative, contemporary, and crossover artists. Images of album artwork and links to both internet-based resources are always included. Click on the title to view the article.

Links
Digest Index
Current Digest
Instrumental Digest
 
Susanna Blinkoff - Let's Pretend - CD Cover
Let's Pretend (click for artist website)
\r\nImage © Bunnyhead Music 2008


Camp Susannah
Happy Today (click to order)
Image © Bunnyhead Music 2004

Susannah Blinkoff
Susanna Blinkoff (click for MySpace)
Image © Bunnyhead Music 2008

 

(16 November 2008) Susannah Blinkoff is a multi-talented singer-songwriter whose catchy, groove-driven alternative/adult contemporary pop-rock songs have been featured on MTV’s hit show My Super Sweet Sixteen, in the feature film My Super Ex-Girlfriend, as well as heard on hundreds college radio stations across the country. Her warm, intimate, clear-as-a-bell voice turns sexy and sultry in a heartbeat--with comparisons to Diana Ross, Sheryl Crow and Eva Cassidy--while her accomplished background as an actress gives her a chameleon-like performance style that's at home in a variety of musical genres. Her album Let's Pretend (Bunnyhead Music (USA) 6 35961 12372 9, 2008) is a diverse collection of soulful, hooky, pop-rock songs that are original and radio-friendly at the same time.

Born and raised in New York City, Susannah began singing professionally in clubs and off-Broadway when she was twelve. As an actress, she has appeared in numerous TV movies, sitcoms and plays on both coasts. She made her Broadway debut in The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public and is featured on the show's cast album recording. She is also a published playwright and screenwriter who co-wrote the film Bellyfruit which premiered at the LA Independent Film Festival and ran on Showtime. For that film, she wrote and produced the opening title song with hit music producer Stephen Bray (Madonna, The Color Purple). Over the last ten years, Susanna has released two six-track EPs and two full length albums.

Blinkoff's twelve track first album Happy Today (Bunnyhead Music (USA) 8 07207 03152 9, 2004 was released under the band name Camp Susanna and was a collaboration with musicians David Sutton (Lucinda Williams, Liz Phair, Tracy Chapman), John Ballinger (Rufus Wainwright), Ray McNamara (E of the Eels) and Scott Breadman (Macy Gray). Susannah has performed her music in Galway, Ireland; New York City, and in Los Angeles at The Knitting Factory, Tangier, Genghis Cohen, The Mint, and Hotel Cafe. The album's production is superb.

As the daughter of Broadway composer-lyricist Carol Hall, Susannah grew up in recording studios and songwriting was literally a calling she could not ignore. While performing and recording are her true passions, she is also busy developing hybrid musical projects that bring all of her talents together. Her award-winning screenplay Undercover Crew--currently being developed as both a film and a TV series--features two original songs written by Susannah for the character of a teen pop star. Another project is an original movie-with-music about singers that will feature her songs as well as those of some other prominent LA songwriters.

On the eleven track Let's Pretend album, Susannah co-wrote everything with Rich Jacques (Alissa Moreno, Brownie Mary). Jacques played everything, Susanna sang. Previously with the Camp Susannah band featured David Sutton (Lucinda Williams, Liz Phair, Tracy Chapman), John Ballinger (Rufus Wainwright), Ray McNamara (E of the Eels) and Scott Breadman (Macy Gray) among others. Production is lighter and somewhat less acceptable than the singer's debut effort.

Blinkoff is certainly a talented vocalist with a penchant for poignant lyrics and stellar backing musicianship to bring it home to the heart. This woman has a tremendous voice. Her music is a polished brand of rock and pop with interesting alternative twists and turns. Sometimes it sounds like something you would hear blasting out of the speakers at an all night dance club and then again, something you would hear up and down your radio dial. Both of her albums, Happy Today more produced than Let's Pretend are perfect packages. Order Happy Today by clicking the album cover.

Susannah is one of those artists that doesn't come along too often. On Let's Pretend her voice is warm and charming in the vein of such artists as Dido and Lisa Loeb, with the meaningful songwriting of artists like Emmylou Harris. Fans of intelligent rock with a touch of pop will find this release very enjoyable. She sings with a grace and ease that is rarely seen, writing songs that are too good to be called pop music. Fans of ethereal rock that is fun and light while firmly based in reality will enjoy her latest album.  

 
last updated on: