Sui Zhen: Secretly Susan

Look to the cover and you’ll see a vacant faced lady with a short blonde do looking off into space. Her name is Susan and she’s the character created and lived through in Sui Zhen’s new album Secretly Susan. It’s an interesting concept and proof that Sui Zhen lives and breathes the music she creates.
The album starts of with the whispy, breathy single ‘Teenage Years’. It’s an elated song made possible with synth pops spread throughout the track. It slowly fades out into nothing and instantly has you thinking back to your own teenage years.
Sui Zhen’s talent lies in her crooning voice paired with the heavy synth beats. In ‘Hangin’ On’ there’s a tribal rhythm, ‘Take It All Back’ is a bit more eletro-‘80s and ‘Dear Teri’ is a slightly sexy, slightly jazz-tinged number. The latter of which is a highlight for me, the kind of smooth love song dedicated to this so called Teri character that you can’t help but be intrigued by.
The rest of the album wavers between these styles and helps build a story behind ‘Susan’. It’s almost like a diary captured in some sort of strange electro, futuristic ‘80s time warp, maybe that’s not the simplest way to define the album, but listen to it and you’ll know what I mean.
Out now via Dot Dash/Remote Control Records
Reviewed by Amanda Sherring