I’m returning to this song fresh off a flame war on Twitter. Susan Cattaneo’s up-beat “Work Hard Love Harder” feels like a good reminder of how to conduct ourselves on days where everyone is on edge — not to mention a reminder of focusing on what really matters. (Spoiler: it’s not the opinion of a music journalist in New York or an 18-year-old in Kansas City.) The whole thing has made me wonder why I feel so damn strongly about proving…what? I guess that I have dignity after having a slur thrown at me?
I think there’s more to be said about how we conduct ourselves in those moments. I think Susan Cattaneo can anchor us there.
With the Bottle Rockets backing the song, you know it’s a high-energy romp. The video is fun as heck to watch, and its setting in a church speaks volumes — a silent reminder about what spaces like that were originally intended to promote. Cattaneo’s new double album, The Hammer and the Heart, has hit #1 on the Billboard Northeast Heatseekers chart and it’s easy to see why. Simple truths and straightforward songs never get old. Clearly, we still need them desperately.
Susan Cattaneo — Official, Facebook, iTunes, Bandcamp
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