Fans of Enya, the Cranberries, Sinead O'Connor, and other Celtic-inflected musicians will appreciate the heartfelt clarion vocals of Susan Raven. Her multitextured accompaniment features carefully layered flute, acoustic guitar, and bell-like keyboards.
Susan Raven is a 21st Century troubadour with a rich and haunting voice. Her album, Glittering Cities, is a cinematic journey from start to finish, an emotion-fired collection of majestic songcraft with strong vocal performances that fall somewhere between Sinead OConnor and the Cranberries.
The arrangements soar, ranging from multi-layered synth programs over dance grooves through to a pure acoustic and orchestral approach. Ethereal instrumentation and inspired performances from, among others, members of the Peter Gabriel and Salif Keita bands, perfectly establish the sonic aura around her thought-provoking lyrics, which reflect her interest in all things mystical and esoteric deriving from the traditions of both East and West.
Susan Raven: "I write all my songs on a vintage Martin 12-string guitar. It is an entire band in one instrument, the harmonics and drones that spin out from the strumming suggest many of the overdubs that follow. I take a song and hone it until the base-metal turns to gold. I write lyrics to trigger emotions, memories and inspiration in people and as my craft has matured, so a strong individual sound has emerged. My music has been variously described as Cosmic World Fusion, Space Rock and Ethno-Pop."
CDBaby.com: "Majestic songcraft bolstered by a strong vocal performance from Susan Raven; the scope of the music is reminiscent of Peter Gabriel’s ambitious catalog - a beautiful album."