Blues rock guitar sensation, Susan Santos celebrates the release of her new studio album Sonora with her new single “So Long.”
The album, released today, is available on vinyl and CD from www.susansantos.info/shop, and digital download from https://orcd.co/sonoraalbum.
Sonora is Santos’ sixth studio album. The album title encapsulates the overall vibe that permeates throughout the eight songs. Although each of the album tracks vary in style, they all share a common thread – the desert. Sonora is the first that that Santos fully identities in more ways than one. The album is diverse and encompasses guitar styles that ranges from Western to psychedelia.
Sonora was recorded at Black Betty Studios in Madrid, and produced by Santos and Jose Nortes. All songs. composed by Susan Santos, were recorded as a trio featuring David Salvador (bass) and Juli El Lento (drums). Santos sang lead vocals and played electric, baritone, and acoustic guitars, banjo, and theremin.
Sonora is the album of the desert, and the desert people. The songs tell stories ranging from survival, thirst, outlaws, escape, and freedom against a backdrop of scorpions, lizards, and roadrunners. Before listening, it is highly recommended to embark on your road journey with a full tank, and don’t pick up any hitchhikers.
Based in Madrid, Susan Santos is a passionate, self-taught left-hand guitarist. She writes her own songs that reflect her signature blend of rhythm and textures. She is a creative force in the guitar world, and a truly unique artist in her own right.
The gifted Spanish guitarist and singer songwriter has spent years performing in famous establishments and venues, and numerous festivals throughout Europe, Mexico, and America.
She has shared the stage with ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and won “Best Musician Performance” at the 2018 European Blues Awards, and “Best Female Album” at the 2019 LA Critics’ Awards.
ALBUM TRACK LISTING
1. Hot Rod Lady (3:59)
2. Snakebite (4:57)
3. So Long (4:26)
4. Have Mercy (4:31)
5. What I Want (4:58)
6. Voodoo Wheels (3:23)
7. Call Me Tonight (3:32)
8. Let It Ride (5:50)
Production Credits
All songs composed by Susan Santos
Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered at Black Betty Studios, Madrid
Produced by Susan Santos and Jose Nortes
Susan Santos: vocals, electric, baritone and acoustic guitars, banjo, theremin
David Salvador: bass guitar
Julie El Lento: drums
SONARA – TRACK BY TRACK
1. Hot Rod Lady
The song begins with a powerful riff with baritone guitar. It’s a rock blues mix with a modern sound. The song tells the story of a woman who drives through the desert and breaks all the speed limits. She quenches her thirst with cans of beer that she drinks in one gulp. She squeezes the empty cans and throws them to the side of the road. Always under the hypnotic roar of the engine and the modified amps, the only way to keep her sanity is by leaving a vast trail of dust, lovers, broken hearts, and empty bottles in her wake.
2. Snakebite
I wanted to achieve the darkest and swampiest point on the album. A poisoned love story narrated as if it were a duel to the death at gunpoint in the Wild West. She feels enslaved, as if bitten by a snake. It is clear to her that she does not intend to waste her last bullet by sitting around while the poison makes its way through her veins.
3. So Long
It is a very funny song with touches of American rock. The song conveys an air of hope, melancholy, and a desire to return home. The song’s protagonist makes a stop at the last motel before getting lost. The neon lights on the sign are flashing and the swimming pool is empty. Inside the room, she contemplates the ashes of her past, the broken dishes, and disappointments, and the defeats.
4. Have Mercy
I wanted to write a song in the style of all those country singers from the 50s of which I am a big fan of. The song is about a woman in a bar talking to a handsome stranger. Tomorrow, voluntarily or involuntarily, nobody will remember anything. As long as the bar remains open, the fantasy will endure. “Put another song on the jukebox and may God have mercy on your soul. Here’s to never seeing each other again to the bleak sight of an empty glass.”
5. What I Want
This rock song was a lot of fun to record and features double guitars in the guitar solo. It is a statement of what we all want in life. To be proud of what we really want, and not to be worried about criticism. You only get one life, so enjoy the ride. The lyrics say it all – “I do what I want and when I want, and I never look back. No one will ever tell me how to live my life.”
6. Voodoo Wheels
This is the rockabilly song on the album. Her only lover is her Cadillac. She feels like a Goddess under the neon lights. She’s possessed by the voodoo of rims. She feels free and wild. Anything is possible. She may end up as a movie star, or she will be seen on TV bathed in champagne and diamonds. She drives to 4-46 junction in Cholame, California, where she reminisces about James Dean.
7. Call Me Tonight
This song is probably the fun highpoint of the album. I would describe it as soul pop. It’s about the longing and hope for love; for a phone call that will make this night a night to remember.
8. Let It Ride
The song has two parts. It’s two songs in one. The first part has a Hendrix vibe. The second part is darker and more psychedelic, with lots of improvisational guitar solos, including the theremin. The protagonist of the story is a sexy casino hustler who wears her best dresses and cheating heels. She feels alive gambling and cheating at Blackjack. She is pursued by the law, but feels more alive than ever, playing the part of a devilish female outlaw.
