Suzannah Espie And TheLast Word - First AndLast Hotel

Wed 1st Jul, 2009 in Music Reviews

Winter is closing in around us here in Sydney and I have been warmed by the depth of the vocals of Australia’s Suzannah Espie and her band The Last Word. First And Last Hotel is a soulful gathering of ten songs that feature the depth and charm of Ms. Espie’s singing and songwriting. Not having heard her much from her since her time with the fabulous trio GIT, it was an aural surprise for me to hear this precious little package.

Suzannah sings with passion and soul and her band of Dave Foley on drums, Big Boy Lemonade Ogburn on keys, Chris Rodgers on bass and Dan Schulz on guitar makes this record sparkle. The self-penned and borrowed songs concentrate on matters of the heart and are the perfect match for a glass or red in front of the fire (or gas heater in my case).The band are not left to their own devices to fill these grooves, though.

The guests are plentiful and they add some gorgeous touches. Jeff Lang plays guitar on three tracks, most notably on the Hank Williams track Lonesome Whistle. The harmony vocals of former Git-gal Sarah Carroll and Lil’ Fi make this a vocal treat. Check out The Preacher which has them all joining in, and mixed with the keys of Big Boy, this is blues that sounds like it just dropped in from N’Awlins via Melbourne.

Suzannah also recorded a cover of the late Doug Mansfield’s City Station that is a fitting tip of the cowboy hat to the Victorian honky tonk cowboy who passed on earlier this year. It’s a beautiful song and she does it justice. Was that a tear that just dropped into my glass?

Whatever, I think the grapes may be taking over. In short, this is a country/blues beauty filled with warmth, soul and most of all heart. The heart and soul of Suzanna Espie and The Last Word is one you should wrap your arms around very soon.