Susan Hedges, City Song. E.P. Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

If Susan Hedges showed her teeth and bared her claws throughout the excellent Kiss My Attitude album then on the City Song E.P. the hurt she put out for all to hear is replaced by one of sensitivity, poetry for something, someone she loves and a joy of a place she is deeply proud to be part of.

The same deep resonating voice that thrilled and electrified listeners on Kiss My Attitude is very evident throughout the four songs that appear on City Song but there is a deep sense of beauty, a craving, a show of affection, a subtle fondness for something that is missing in people’s lives. Whether it is the ode to her home city and the receptive feeling she gets in return in the E.P.s title track or the heart rendering loss and demise of closeness with the injection of hope, City Song is an accomplished piece of work that at its core is just very beautiful.

Susan’s voice is the attraction to the C.D., the instruments whilst hum and perform equally well, the voice is what lures the listener in, to feel as though they are taking part in what Susan is imparting. Laying somewhere between Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders fame and Ann Wilson of Heart when she started out, the immediacy and depth of richness is there for all to hear on the E.P’s tracks City Song, (Whether Or Not You Are) You’re The One, the superb One Sided Love and the anguish of Anymore. 

Susan Hedges is a name and a voice to relish and if Kiss My Attitude showcased her resilience and belief in herself, the vulnerability that this E.P. reveals is akin to what the city of Liverpool has underneath its tough and creative exterior.

Ian D. Hall