ALBUM REVIEW: Suzi Moon – Dumb & In Luv
(Pirates Press Records)
Suzi Moon might appear to have arrived out of nowhere fully formed as a new female role model for those who like their rock ‘n’ roll served loud and nasty.
But those in the know will tell you her story began 20 years ago, when she started out as guitarist with all-girl Californian punk rock band Civet.
Known then as Suzi Homewrecker, she played on five albums before the band went their separate ways in 2011 (they’ve never officially split up).
After playing with Turbulent Hearts, who released three EPs, and L.A. Machina, who managed just one single, she’s back with a new band as Suzi Moon.
Debut album Dumb & In Luv draws on important themes in Moon’s life, such as love, heartbreak and family, and also on the influence of her California upbringing.
She cites Social Distortion, Rancid, Green Day, and Sugarcult as influences, but her band is already shaping its own distinctive sound.
Moon handles bass and vocals, Drew Champion (The Split Seconds/Glitter Trash) is on lead guitar, Davey Warsop (Sharp Shock/Bad Cop Bad Cop) on guitar and Sean Peterson on drums (though Justin McGrath plays on two tracks).
Airplay friendly
Three tracks from the album were trailed as singles – the title cut, Family Memories and California, which just happen to be its opening three songs.
A Ramones drumbeat and insistent bassline kick off Dumb & In Luv, and Suzi really shows her punk rock chops on the song, about how falling in love can make you do stupid things.
Family Memories is a heartfelt tribute to Moon’s grandmother, who died in 2019, while California is a love letter to the Golden State. More mid-paced than the first two tracks, it’s probably my favourite song on the album, and certainly the most airplay friendly.
Money is a salutary tale about wasting your life chasing $$$, when true happiness lies elsewhere; Moon sings: “I had a job and it made me wanna die, they let me go with no warning, no goodbye.”
The rest of the album is pretty much Moon pouring her heart out about love. Side one ends with I Go Blind, about the things people do to stay in a relationship, while side two starts with Honey, which admits “you played me like a videogame” before concluding that sometimes it’s okay to have fun while it lasts, then let go.
Any Other Way is about finding ‘the one’ when you’re not necessarily looking for them, while 99 Miles To Pasadena is an upbeat number about looking forward to getting back to the one you love after being apart.
Believe In Luv is a self-analytical look at how being with the right person can change you for the right reasons, as Moon reflects “he gets under my skin, I’m a better person when I’m with him”.
Freedom, which closes out the album, is a more sedate affair altogether, about listening to your heart and fighting for what you want. With acoustic guitars instead of electric, it shows a softer side to the band than their foot-to-the-floor punk ‘n’ roll.
This is Suzi Moon’s third release after the excellent EPs Call The Shots (reviewed here) and Animal (reviewed here), but was mostly written before those records.
Whether it’s punk, garage rock or rock ‘n’ roll, it’s bloody great, and marks Suzi down as a real talent to watch – the Joan Jett of her generation, if you like.
Rocking out
Yes, you can hear The Runaways in her sound, and The Donnas and a little of The Distillers too, but Suzi Moon is her own gal, and can rock out with the best of them.
She proved that with a cracking set at Rebellion Festival in Blackpool last month (and an even better pre-show in a tiny venue the previous night, if accounts are correct).
The band are honing their craft on US support dates with Teenage Bottlerocket and Dead Boys. Let’s hope they come back to the UK before they’re finished touring this record. I think it marks just the beginning of the Suzi Moon story. 8/10.
