Secretly Susan opens with waves lapping on the beach, beckoning you into an imaginary exotic paradise. A gentle cooing vocal then drifts in to accompany opener Teenage Years’ lounge-y, chillwave grooves. But is it Becky Sui Zhen singing or her alter-ego Susan?
The cover art features Susan, with her blonde-bob haircut/wig and sad, distant eyes, an image of beauty and emptiness. It’s a look that’s carried over from the clips for singles Infinity Street and Take It All Back. The minimalist, pastel-coloured visuals are stylised in a way that recalls Darren Sylvester’s carefully crafted fusion of art and music – the retro stylings are verging on pastiche, but the artist is fully committed and backed up by some substantial pop songs.
The influence of Grimes comes through on songs like Hangin’ Out, but Sui Zhen tends towards more low-key and approachable sounds. She applies a soft focus to her dreamlike compositions that entices you into her musical sphere, the musical equivalent of those lapping waves at the start of the album. She also makes the most of a minimalist framework to craft songs that take in various strands of gentle, acoustic folk and beat-driven electro-pop.
The surprising part of it is that, by disappearing into another character, she has produced her most emotive and affective body of work. It’s an album that will leave you desperately seeking more Sui Zhen.
BY CHRIS GIRDLER
