If you wish Courtney Love had written a country album, Suzie Chism has got you covered. The singer-songwriter is based out of Nashville now, but every song here screams LA. It’s not just the lyrical content, which centers the incongruity of ennui and discontent in a place that’s supposed to be paradise, but there’s a sense of glitz and urgency throughout the album that calls to mind the luscious production of rock’n’roll’s heyday.
It’s not all grunge. The album’s got some pop bangers like “Paco” and “So Long, Short Goodbye.” They’re pop bangers whose hooky melodies won’t soon leave your internal jukebox, replete with sunny acoustic guitars — and a delicious tint of melancholy. The title track displays Chism’s voice to great effect: sweat and full with a tantalizing rasp. Chism is born for country music, and Pobrecita proves she nails it in any sub-genre of the format. Clever, operatic, and expertly executed, Suzie Chism demonstrates what country music is all about.