Wine and Cigarettes
Many things spring to mind when we think of wine and cigarettes; some may feel the urge to turn the page after being confronted with this phrase due to last nights hangover and a taste in their mouths which resembles what we imagine the bottom of a parrot’s cage to taste like; others may think of the various guilty but pleasurable vices in their lives.
It is the latter which brought on the name of Susan Elizabeth’s new album, “Wine and Cigarettes”. Along with falling in and out of good and bad relationships, a good bottle of wine and a pack of fags are her ultimate vices. Songs that didn’t make the cut are being released on her “B-sides and Sea-sides” EP.
Susan Elizabeth released her first album, “Let Yourself Fall” with former band Paige 23 in 2002 with ACM Records. Songs from “Let Yourself Fall” appeared in such shows as Ed and Medium (NBC). Her song “Run Run (Too Far From Me)” won Susan a college scholarship in 1996. In 2005 “In Retrospect” followed on an independent label.
Since Paige 23, Susan Elizabeth has taken up her own path. With all the funky possibilities electronic music has to offer, she isn’t in need of a drummer and is perfectly capable of managing her career on her own.
Having moved more into the direction of folk music, happily making her own decisions and going by her own feelings without having to respect the opinions of other band members, Susan has described this album to be her most personal; a chronicle of her life leading us through her finding of Buddhism, her marriage/divorce, her dating life after the divorce and finally discovering her new fiancé, losing him and finding him again.
Her style can be compared with Alanis Morissette although Susan Elizabeth comes across a lot softer; not necessarily in her music but definitely in her lyrics. While Alanis Morissette went from bitter and angry divorcee (“Jagged Little Pill”) to overly thankful followed by a quick jump to frighteningly positive, Susan Elizabeth’s heartfelt, thoughtful and playful energy comes across in all of her songs/albums.
Think of Anouk’s ballads on the album “Urban Solitude” and you are just another step closer to understanding Susan’s music; the song “Michel” takes Anouk way back to when she first met her soul mate Michel, similar to Susan’s story with “Reinventing Sara.”
The song “Peace” tells us more about her finding Buddhism last summer, an experience she found both enlightening and soothing.
Susan was raised Roman Catholic, yet due to various personal reasons and the public scandals the naughty priests of nowadays found themselves in the middle of, she drifted further and further away from her beliefs. “Peace” is dedicated to Buddha and her spiritual guide Arya Tara.
Susan Elizabeth takes us on a painful yet educational journey with her ballads; she touches upon everything from the loss of a soul mate to the ironies in life such as explained in the song “The Excitement Before.” “Many things in life are just all about the excitement before it happens rather than the joy of the actual ‘thing’ you're chasing after,” Susan explains.
And we all know what she’s talking about; it could be that Latin lover you’ve been eyeing up for weeks on end and once you’ve felt the brush of his tongue you realize your dog’s tonguing techniques are better than his and all excitement is lost. C’est la Vie.
C’est la Vie…an attitude Susan seems to have adopted and turned into a free spirited outlook on life.
There is no need to sit down with Susan Elizabeth in order to get to know her; just wait for her to pick up that guitar and let the melodies lead you closer to her thoughts and persona. “Wine and Cigarettes” is the soundtrack to her biography and it can be to yours for all the various aspects in life you enjoy; be it the same amount of smokes you enjoy while listening in, or a lazy day in the sun with her voice mesmerizing you in the background. Either way, this sparkling senorita will not disappoint you.
For more information on Susan Elizabeth please visit:
www.wineandcigarettes.net
