Album Review: Sui Zhen - Secretly Susan

Beginning with the soft crashing of waves against a shore, Secretly Susan is a melancholy journey through the numbing emotions of love and loss, dominated by bass, synth and vocals.

Sui Zhen's lyrics and music take the dull pangs of a relationship's end and transform them with warm, blissful tones. Standouts include Take It All Back, Going Away and Infinity Street. The indie diva takes a turn away from her ethereal, synth-pop sound on Dear Teri and Walk Without Me and, far from sounding jarring, these diversions manage to give the album just enough colour to sustain interest.