Susto – & I’m Fine Today
Missing Piece Records
– out now
3.5 / 5
Susto, a Latin American term roughly translating as “soul sickness,” doubles South Carolina’s alternative rock quintet on their second full-length. The term is fitting as lead singer and songwriter Justin Osborne, who traveled to Cuba in his mid-20s on a musical quarter-life crisis, pens here a sophomore of songs of wanderlust and disconnection. What comes on this not-quite-dozen are fun, solid tracks that sport a musical twist-and-turn every now and then.
Right off the bat, we enjoy the strings on “Far Out Feeling,” which are a powerful accent for a song about drug abuse. So, Susto knows how to open an album; as well, they close with “Jah Werx,” a catchy psychedelic song which, yes, we’re not quite sure what it’s about, but is funky and uplifting all the same. Our somewhat-complaints? “Hard Drugs” and a few other songs between these bookends don’t quite deliver; they’re average songs, and kind of pass by. But still, a handful of the songs are above-par, the opener and closer are strong singles, and the album on the whole is rather enjoyable.
We found this nascent funky rock group generally worth our time, and hope y’all do as well; recommended.
Listen to a handful of Susto tracks on their Soundcloud.