Susan McKeown
Album: Belong
Label: East River
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.susanmckeown.com

Born in Ireland, singer-songwriter Susan's been living in the States for half her life now, and, amongst other things, has during the past decade been actively pursuing world music adventures as a member of The Klezmatics in addition to continuing along her own musical path as a songwriter. Myself, I've missed out on quite a bit, it seems, as I've lost touch with Susan's music since the pair of rather wonderful, deservedly-acclaimed albums she released in the middle of last decade (2004's Sweet Liberty and 2006's Blackthorn) which took an innovative approach to the presentation of traditional music. And so I guess I wasn't completely prepared for what greeted my ears on Susan's latest CD Belong, which, though recorded towards the end of 2012, has only recently gained a UK release.

It's an album consisting entirely of her own songs, and no doubt as a result of this shift any traditionally-inclined or folkier tendencies are now largely subsumed, with a more general American-roots sensibility taking over which doesn't always convince. There's a relaxed, comfortable, almost transatlantic-session vibe to some of the tracks, which can be very appealing - as on the country-tinged Our Texas, the disc's title song, and the small handful of cuts which feature guest singers; Fallen Angel, with Erin McKeown (no relation, I believe) sort-of-yodelling through, is the most interesting of these, but the rough male vocal of James Maddock rather spoils the otherwise enjoyable Everything We Had Was Good and Declan O'Rourke (On The Bridge To Williamsburg) doesn't seem to match either the feel or the quality of Susan's own voice, for her own singing never lets the side down and is (thankfully) given due prominence by the recording. A certain plainness of execution and arrangement does however pervade the album, and I sometimes yearn for more exciting or enterprising textures to be employed, for I believe the songs deserve more individual treatment and settings than they get here.

There's also a tendency towards wilful diversity of mood and expression, where Susan seems over-eager to parade her penchant for world flavours at the expense of the impact of her songs' messages; the cod-Latin veneer of City Of The Roses just feels pasted on, while the blowsy jazz of Lullaby Of Manhattan feels rather out of kilter with the writing. The musical focus sometimes slips too, and songs make less of an impression than might be expected. The simpler textures and gestures of Delph and the elegiac The Cure are altogether more successful. All in all, and despite the strong presence of Susan's singing, Belong is one of those albums that, while perfectly accessible and listener-friendly, doesn't quite measure up to its title, honourable intentions notwithstanding, and a slight aura of disappointment hangs in the air even after the otherwise affecting No Jericho gently brings the disc to a close.

David Kidman