Susanna and The Magical Orchestra

Albums don’t come much more beautiful than ”List of Lights and Buoys”. Despite a certain variety in the instrumentation and an undisputable audacity in the textural dress-up, ”List of Lights and Buoys” relies solely on the strong songwriting team of Wallumrød and Qvenild, and on Susanna’s irresistibly moving, seductive torch singer of a voice. With a desire to nail the listener to his or her chair right from the start, the album opens with two highly personal interpretations. Leonard Bernstein’s “Who Am I” is born out of and sent back to an electronic fog through which Susanna’s voice appears like a divine lighthouse

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Albums don’t come much more beautiful than ”List of Lights and Buoys”. Despite a certain variety in the instrumentation and an undisputable audacity in the textural dress-up, ”List of Lights and Buoys” relies solely on the strong songwriting team of Wallumrød and Qvenild, and on Susanna’s irresistibly moving, seductive torch singer of a voice. With a desire to nail the listener to his or her chair right from the start, the album opens with two highly personal interpretations. Leonard Bernstein’s “Who Am I” is born out of and sent back to an electronic fog through which Susanna’s voice appears like a divine lighthouse. ”Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” provides the album’s highlight, a showcase for Susanna’s genuine torch singing and Qvenild’s sensitive, minimal arrangements. The duo’s songwriting is then allowed to shine, especially in “Friend”, “Distance Blues and Theory” and the gripping “Believer”. These songs are strong examples of timeless songwriting, the electronic vestments give them a certain edge, but don’t distract from their true qualities. A must-have and one of the most promising debut albums of the year. AMG (US)

Album review “Melody mountain”:

…In places, the results are absolutely stunning, as on the cover of KISS's “Crazy, Crazy Nights,” where Qvenild turns the original guitar-romp into a stunning, fluttery backdrop of gorgeous swells while Wallumrød seems to bring out another side of the vocals (just like Mark Kozelek did on most of What's Next To The Moon). Likewise, the thumping electronic pop of Depeche Mode is turned into a creepy lullaby on the ultra-melancholy “Enjoy The Silence.” If the album has a flaw, it's that just about every song on the release is turned into something super slow (and in some places rather languid). On the other hand, Melody Mountain (with production by Deathprod) is one of the most gorgeously-produced albums I've heard in some time. Subtlety is the rule on the disc, and it really seeps into your being on good headphones or nice speakers. Almost cool music reviews

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