Here at the Send Me Your Ears studio today, we’ve been listening to the latest single from Susy K. Workin’ is released today, 27 January 2023.
Our readers will no doubt remember how impressed we were with Susy K’s previous release, Keep On Going: a passionate contemporary soul track, so we were excited to see her name reach the top of our reviews pile again today.
Susy K does not disappoint! The moment the song started, we all shouted “Oh Yeah!” in unison. This is high-quality authentic 70s-inspired soul with more than a few nods to the great Steve Wonder.
Edinburgh-based Susy K is a professional vocalist, songwriter, session musician and vocal coach. Her vocal chops are astounding, drawing comparisons to such greats as Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey and Joss Stone. It seems there is nothing that Susy K can’t do with her voice and her vocal licks and riffs and passionate delivery left us awestruck once again.
Throughout the song, we found ourselves slow-nodding and smiling. The soulfulness oozes from every moment of this track. Workin’ speaks to those times when you really like someone, but they just don’t seem to notice and you’re really having to work for their attention. Susy K doesn’t seem to us like someone who would have to work for attention: her effortless delivery is enough to make the meanest of music fans pay attention!
We love how the funky bassline occasionally follows the vocal line and the stops with classy little drum fills keep the song interesting throughout. The horn section is a nice touch and we especially liked the sparing delay effects on the verse vocals.
Workin’ has some wonderful layered vocals and harmonies and we were impressed with the contrasting rhythms of the additional vocals in places, which created a soundscape that washes over you in a wave of funk-soul heaven!
Ideas from our ears
To our ears, a hi-pass at 40Hz and a small dip around 125Hz would balance the track out a little, making it sound a little less bass-heavy. A small cut around 1-1.5kHz would help with overall balancing too. As always, these are just some ideas from our ears.
Final thoughts
Susy K is an impressive vocalist: a force to be reckoned with. With a voice that sounds straight out of the Southern States, this Edinburgh lass has put herself firmly on the map to be considered one of the next great vocal divas of our time.