Suzy is an odd mix of the slick L.A. singer/songwriter pop of his previous record and stripped-down, acoustic-based new wave. The title cut, "Shake Your Fiorucci" (which quotes familiar guitar lines from
the Stones' "Bitch" and
Derek & the Dominoes' "Layla"), "Dump It In the River," and "$50 an Hour," which were recorded with a tight three-piece band led by guitarist
Will McFarlane, seem to have come from a completely different project than the rest of the album. Here
Boylan shows an edge and even a touch of nastiness that isn't evident in the bulk of his work. Even his vocal delivery seems to have a tougher, almost punkish quality on these tunes, as opposed to his usual
Jackson Browne-like throatiness. Unfortunately, the majority of
Suzy -- which utilizes many of the same heavy hitters as
Terence Boylan as well as guitarists
Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and
Larry Carlton, pianist
Paul Harris, and even Chevy Chase playing Fender Rhodes on the quirky "Miso Soup" -- lacks the punch and vibrancy of the sparsely produced tracks.
Suzy, with its disparate styles, almost has the feel of two EPs released on the same disc. Though it may lack the cohesiveness of his Asylum debut,
Suzy does show
Boylan's willingness to stretch outside the realms of the typical Southern California sound. ~ Brett Hartenbach