Have you ever wondered what Barney And Friends would sound like if they played a Medieval Renassiance Fair? Me neither, but Melbourne’s Susy Blue is here to answer that question anyway. On her debut album, Curly Girl, Blue serves up an ambiguous and ambitious record of genre-bending antics.

Blue’s take on the smoky, baby voice that seems to be all the rage right now is nothing special, however she pulls it off deftly enough for it to be bearable. Her songs are in no way offensive to the ears, although the arrangements will sometimes leave you scratching your head and wondering what you just heard.

The sheer number of ‘instruments’ employed on this album is enough to make you dizzy. Pots and pans and the toy piano round out a colorful cast of characters that include, but are certainly not limited to, the glockenspiel, ukulele and good ol’ squeezebox.

The songs themselves sound as though they were composed on Fisher Price toy instruments. Blue tries to incorporate as many different styles and sounds as possible on almost every track, which can be exhausting. She attempts to blend and bend genres seamlessly, from cabaret to polka to pop to swing. While this works on a gimmicky level, song momentum is derailed by such auditory shape-shifting. 

Susy Blue has made an interesting record. She is no doubt talented, but needs to focus her songwriting instead of indulging in every whimsy like a child who has forgotten to take her Ritalin.

Ryan Lynch

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