Susan
Calloway - Time For This
Susan
Calloway has the whole gamut of objective and subjective qualities required for
stardom in the music world. There’s no argument she possesses one of the most
compelling and emotionally capable voices in pop or rock music today. She’s
equally effective on both the higher and lower ends of her register and never
sings a refrain the same way twice. The subjective qualities of her appeal
matter as well. She’s a stunningly beautiful lady who manifests a ton of
personality in her vocal performances and surrounds herself with worthwhile
collaborators like her producer and songwriting partner Gerard Smerek. Smerek’s
long experience with Calloway’s personality and skills gives him a wide look
into the best possible ways of presenting Calloway’s talents. This Detroit
based singer/songwriter has a go for broke attitude informing her considerable
skills and owns every line of “Time for This” like this is a spontaneous first
take.
Such
a plaintive emotional mood deserves the bare bones musical treatment defining
this song. The piano counterpointing Calloway’s voice on this song is more than
enough to carry the track and they strike up such immediate chemistry that, if
your ears notice the lack of additional activity, you’ll soon dismiss such
concerns. The playing dives, soars, doubles back over itself, and sets up a
near classical setting for Calloway’s voice to inhabit. Moreover, it forces
listeners to keep their attention on two central elements rather than four or
more. The setup for this track draws our ears to piano and vocals and how these
respective instruments play off and against each other. The arrangement,
furthermore, begins and ends in appropriately spot on fashion without any
grandiose fanfare at either point. Many bands and performers have a wont for overexerted
greatness utilizing these sorts of textures, but Calloway resists that sort of
self-indulgence. The piano playing also conjures up a percussive quality at
certain points that underlines the song’s power.
The
singing is up to the challenge. Calloway shows off a lot of gravel and grit in
her vocal, plus an ample amount of power, but there’s a great deal of style
coming with what she does. Her range is wide, but the most important aspect of
what she does comes from the sharp and dramatic phrasing she invests the lyrics
with. She’s more than capable of hitting all the same musical peaks and valleys
summoned to life from the piano playing. The lyrics never gloss up the
experience depicted by this song and give Calloway plenty of material to work
with in her effort to create a brief musical world. “Time for This” stays
accessible through melody, a stripped down musical arrangement, and a
powerhouse vocalist with enough skill to get over a grocery list. Talents like
this don’t come around often and Susan Calloway is making all of the right
moves to realize her potential. This single is just one more step towards
widespread mainstream recognition and is sure to win over many new converts.
Gilbert
Mullis
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