Album review: 'The Wishing Well' 

Susanna Rose

"The Wishing Well"

Self-released

susannarose.bandcamp.com

Susanna Rose is trying to break my heart, break me down, and make me sad. Her new album, "The Wishing Well," is mellow in the extreme with chordal patterns that hang like battleship-grey skies in February. She handed the disc to me assuring me, matter-o-factly, it was even sadder than her previous material. And since I've always felt that crying and laughing were kissing cousins, there must be something in there for the hopeful and for the optimist in most of us.

But no, this new one is a fresh crop of gently dying Susanna Rose roses. This record appeals to the hopelessness we've all felt while shaking our fist at the sky, begging for more. What amazes me, however, is Rose's voice: it defines bittersweet in an upper register lilt that is simply beautiful and devastating. This is a fine record, though a bit maudlin. You should pick it up — I just don't recommend listening to it alone.