Search - Susan Aglukark :: Big Feeling

A dramatic deviation for Susan--a good one?

K. A. Smith | Santa Cruz, CA USA | 06/13/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album strikes me as very different from Susan's other albums. I love it when artists reinvent themselves and Susan has done just that. Bravo to her for being brave and pushing boundaries. That being said, the question remains if this experiement has been successful.



I enjoy this album and listen to it regularly, but it has had to grow on me. At first listen, all the songs sounded the same. The orchestrations are much more pronounced and intricate and in some cases heavy handed and dischordant. Some uses of electric guitar are over done I think. Many of the songs are backed by powerful music, which tends to be a bit chaotic and clashing in my opinion.



In a dramatic shift, Susan has moved from clear story-telling to the realm of abstract poetry. In some cases the lyrics are of beautiful or poignant images--some even precise and delightful--but other times (most of the time) I don't "get" the focus of a song. On previous albums I could always follow her--on this one I am more often lost. She jumps from metaphor to similie and between phrases that have no cohesion for me. Unlike her previous albums, these songs are not about stories. I view them as glimpses, emotional, feeling essences. This is the biggest change. These songs are collages of feelings, attitudes, and ideas--not stories. She has jumped from realism to impressionism and initially it took me jarringly by surprise. Once I relaxed however, I did find that the songs moved me and produced in me feelings that were satisfying responses to Susan's work.



Back are songs sung with lyrics in Inuktitut: Whaler's Lullaby (which is not about killing whales), Hangdog (which is not about strangling puppies), and Suongan (which I'm not sure what it's about). An addition that I am thrilled about is the inclusion of Throat Singing, as a separate track (Katadjaq) and into the songs themselves. Inuit throat singing is a challenging and remarkable experience which I have been lucky enough to do a little myself. Research it more if you're interested. I feel like this album is closer to Susan's Inuit roots than "Unsung Heroes."



As I have listened more and more to this album I have discovered that there are certain tracks I like, a couple I hate (yes, sorry, hate) and some I'm indifferent about--which is unusual. Usually I like everything Susan does. Crystal House, Crazy Water Dance (despite the grating guitar), Suongan, and Big Feeling (remix) are my favorites, with lovely melodies and soaring themes backed up by mostly appealing orchestrations that carry powerful feelings conveyed by lyrics that are mostly cohesive (even if I still don't know exactly what they are or mean). Crystal House might have something to do with religion or politics... ditto for Crazy Water...



White Sahara and Whaler's Lullaby are both lovely and moving, the only two truly slow tempo ballad-like songs of any worth on the album. Echo Canyon, Red Velvet Angel, and Tin Gods are three powerful female power-oriented songs that are good but not great--a pity. Into the Ocean is jarring and abrasive to me, without any kind of point, and Germaine is just plain boring and lackluster. Susan has wandered into the realm of "love" songs and songs about romantic love (Germaine, Echo Canyon, White Sahara). Germaine is overt and it's a flop. Echo Canyon is almost there. White Sahara carries it the best with ambiguity I like.



Overall, I love this album, and there are some real jewels on it, but a few get the "skip" button. It's a good step for Susan, but I think she lost her balance a little. I look forward to a lovely fusion of the new flavors, poetry, and feeling from "Big Feeling" and the cohesiveness and smoothness of "Unsung Heroes" on her next album."