Susan Cattaneo may never sell out arenas and may never grace the Grand Ole Opry stage, but hot damn if she doesn’t make for one heck of an engaging and original country singer-songwriter. On her new album Little Big Sky she successfully tackles radio-ready pop hooks with introspective coffeehouse confessions that makes for a whale of a listen.
Whether she’s pining the value of her own worth in the spiraling “Alice in Wonder,” or appreciating a new found love on the Mary Chapin Carpenter-esque “A Place Called Love,” she has an aura that is charismatic, polished and ready for the larger stages. To put it simply, this Jersey girl knows her way around a song. The biggest example of that is the title track and definitive first single, a bursting and sunny cut that is destined for radio airwaves.
The merits of “Little Big Sky” have already been discussed on this blog, but its charms should not be overlooked. This is a definite hit and there is little reason to think that given the right amount of time and the right amount of exposure, Cattaneo will not find her niche. And even if the hands of fate draw up a different path for the Massachusetts resident, she can at least rest her hat on the strength of surefire crowd pleasers like “Spare Parts,” and “Pennies on the Rail.”
In the end, music is supposed to inspire, enlighten and invigorate. And Little Big Sky does exactly that. If this isn’t her breakthrough disc, then Little Big Sky’s successor most certainly will be. There’s something strong and powerful at work here. Just give it a listen. You’ll see.
