New York City-based quartet
SUSS emerged in 2018 with
Ghost Box, an ambient country record which seemed like a more rustic counterpart to
Daniel Lanois' work on
Brian Eno's
Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks. The self-released album became somewhat of a runaway hit, and the
Northern Spy label put out an expanded reissue later in the year, as well as its darker, more cinematic follow-up, 2019's
High Line. Third album
Promise is perhaps their most nocturnal effort yet, tipping the balance a bit closer to space music while also having a sort of psychedelic undercurrent. Loops and light beats are sometimes present, but the music largely feels unbound by rhythm, free to luxuriate in wide-open spaces. Some tension is evident, though, as "No Man's Land" features craggy violin and wheezing harmonium, and there's an ominous feeling to the fuzz guitar-laden "Mission." "Drift" sounds a bit closer to
Robert Fripp playing lead guitar over a Spaghetti Western score, and "Winter Light" is lushly layered with guitars, swirling synths, and melodica. The gentle hi-hat ticking and pillowy steel guitars of "Nightlight" end the album on a tranquil note, peacefully floating toward the cosmos. ~ Paul Simpson
