De gevierde Spaanse gitarist en singer-songwriter Susan Santos kondigt met genoegen de release aan van haar nieuwe studioalbum “Sonora” welk uit zal komen op 5 april 2024. De eerste single “Hot Rod Lady” werd uitgebracht op 12 januari j.l. De videoclip, gefilmd in Joshua Tree Nationaal Park in Californië, is hieronder te bekijken.

Susan Santos "Hot Rod Lady"

 
‘Sonora’ is het zesde studioalbum van Susan Santos. De albumtitel ‘Sonora’ vat de algemene sfeer samen die door de acht nummers heen doordringt. Hoewel elk van de albumtracks qua stijl varieert, delen ze allemaal een rode draad: de woestijn. ‘Sonora’ is de eerste plaats een album die Santos op meer dan één manier volledig identificeert. Het album is divers en omvat gitaarstijlen die variëren van westers tot psychedelia. ‘Sonora’ is opgenomen in de Black Betty Studios, Madrid, en wordt geproduceerd door Susan Santos en Jose Nortes.

Alle liedjes, gecomponeerd door Susan Santos, werden opgenomen als trio met David Salvador (bas) en Juli El Lento (drums). Susan zong leadzang en speelde elektrische, bariton- en akoestische gitaren, banjo en theremin. “Sonora” is het album van de woestijn en de woestijnmensen. De liedjes vertellen verhalen variërend van overleving, dorst, bandieten, ontsnapping en vrijheid tegen een achtergrond van schorpioenen, hagedissen en roadrunners. Voordat u gaat luisteren: het wordt ten zeerste aanbevolen om met een volle tank aan uw reis te beginnen en geen lifters op te pikken.

Susan Santos, gevestigd in Madrid, is een gepassioneerde, autodidactische linkshandige gitariste. Ze schrijft haar eigen liedjes die haar kenmerkende mix van ritme en teksten weerspiegelen. Ze is een creatieve kracht in de gitaarwereld en op zichzelf een werkelijk unieke artiest.

Album tracklist:
1. Hot Rod Lady (3:59)
2. Snakebite (4:57)
3. So Long (4:26)
4. Have Mercy (4:31)
5. What I Want (4:58)
6. Voodoo Wheels (3:23)
7. Call Me Tonight (3:32)
8. Let It Ride (5:50)

Foto Release: Susan Santos new studio album “Sonora”

SONARA – TRACK BY TRACK
1. Hot Rod Lady
The song begins with a powerful riff with baritone guitar. It’s a rock blues mix with a modern sound. The song tells the story of a woman who drives through the desert and breaks all the speed limits. She quenches her thirst with cans of beer that she drinks in one gulp. She squeezes the empty cans and throws them to the side of the road. Always under the hypnotic roar of the engine and the modified amps, the only way to keep her sanity is by leaving a vast trail of dust, lovers, broken hearts, and empty bottles in her wake.

2. Snakebite
I wanted to achieve the darkest and swampiest point on the album. A poisoned love story narrated as if it were a duel to the death at gunpoint in the Wild West. She feels enslaved, as if bitten by a snake. It is clear to her that she does not intend to waste her last bullet by sitting around while the poison makes its way through her veins.

3. So Long
It is a very funny song with touches of American rock. The song conveys an air of hope, melancholy, and a desire to return home. The song’s protagonist makes a stop at the last motel before getting lost. The neon lights on the sign are flashing and the swimming pool is empty. Inside the room, she contemplates the ashes of her past, the broken dishes, and disappointments, and the defeats.

4. Have Mercy
I wanted to write a song in the style of all those country singers from the 50s of which I am a big fan of. The song is about a woman in a bar talking to a handsome stranger. Tomorrow, voluntarily or involuntarily, nobody will remember anything. As long as the bar remains open, the fantasy will endure. “Put another song on the jukebox and may God have mercy on your soul. Here’s to never seeing each other again to the bleak sight of an empty glass.”

5. What I Want
This rock song was a lot of fun to record and features double guitars in the guitar solo. It is a statement of what we all want in life. To be proud of what we really want, and not to be worried about criticism. You only get one life, so enjoy the ride. The lyrics say it all – “I do what I want and when I want, and I never look back. No one will ever tell me how to live my life.”

6. Voodoo Wheels
This is the rockabilly song on the album. Her only lover is her Cadillac. She feels like a Goddess under the neon lights. She’s possessed by the voodoo of rims. She feels free and wild. Anything is possible. She may end up as a movie star, or she will be seen on TV bathed in champagne and diamonds. She drives to 4-46 junction in Cholame, California, where she reminisces about James Dean.

7. Call Me Tonight
This song is probably the fun highpoint of the album. I would describe it as soul pop. It’s about the longing and hope for love; for a phone call that will make this night a night to remember.

8. Let It Ride
The song has two parts. It’s two songs in one. The first part has a Hendrix vibe. The second part is darker and more psychedelic, with lots of improvisational guitar solos, including the theremin. The protagonist of the story is a sexy casino hustler who wears her best dresses and cheating heels. She feels alive gambling and cheating at Blackjack. She is pursued by the law, but feels more alive than ever, playing the part of a devilish female outlaw.


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