A self-described “trash pop” three piece from L.A., Suzie True fits well into the pop rock aesthetic. With catchy guitar from G Leonardo and Lexi McCoy’s smooth bass over the steady Sarah “Danny” Pineapple on the drums, the band makes great use elements of the genre that have been staples since, well, the 90s.

A band with the love lust and pop sound of Best Coast and the iconic 90s feel of a band like Pavement: if that doesn’t sound like a dream of the 2020s, well sir or madam, I don’t know what to tell you. I’d tell you that you’ve come to the wrong music blog, but I’m really trying to increase readership, so you should stay and keep reading.

Please stay and keep reading.

A self-described “trash pop” three piece from L.A., Suzie True fits well into the pop rock aesthetic. With catchy guitar from G Leonardo and Lexi McCoy’s smooth bass over the steady Sarah “Danny” Pineapple on the drums, the band makes great use elements of the genre that have been staples since, well, the 90s. Suzie True makes music that isn’t going out of it’s way to be unique for the sake of being unique, while not being overly-derivative. They stay true to themselves and what they do well; if more people did that, we’d all be much better for it.

Saddest Girl at the Party opens with “Bailey,” a song featuring strong vocal harmonies, a simple catchy chorus, and some hopeless-romantic aspirations. These elements abound throughout the album to great effect, creating what is ultimately a winning debut LP. This snippet from the last verse of “Bailey” is fantastic: “I just want to drink wine at dinner with you/’Cause I saw in a movie it’s what grown-ups do/ I only have $30 in my bank account/I can barely pay my rent but one day I’m gonna buy you and me a house…” It’s simple and relatable and speaks to so many feelings of being young, broke, and in love in America. “Carmen,” the album’s second record, is a reference to the immortal Carmen San Diego. Our narrator yearns for love, laments her imperfections, and tortures herself by making grand, romantic gestures for what is ultimately an unrequited love.

As the project continues, Suzie True uses the formula of catchy harmonies, clean guitar riffs, strong percussion, and creative expressions of love sickness to create an album that has potential to be an underground favorite. The band strikes a great balance between music that has attitude while maintaining a pop appeal that really is reminiscent of Best Coast’s early work. This is on full display in “Not Fair,” a track that uses call and response, varying tempo, and closes with the band working themselves into a vocal frenzy. “IDK U” is another highlight amongst the generally strong Saddest Girl at the Party. It features some of the most prominent and cutting guitar work on the album while McCoy and Leonardo sing in beautiful tandem together.  

Suzie true is a band that feels in a rush to grow up and have it all figured out right now, while also being a call-back to the 90s. They seem like they were engineered in a lab for the times we’re living. We dress children named Cooper like little adults and bring them to places like breweries that, on their face, seem like strange places to bring children. Meanwhile, adults in arrested development trade memes comparing themselves to their parents at 30 while also obsessing over things from their childhoods (you know… the decade between the 80s and the year 2000). We’re trying to negotiate extended adolescence with the trappings of adulthood to hilarious effect. As a person that fits squarely into this description, I submit myself as exhibit A, and I implore you to submit to the charming pop vibes of Suzie True and Saddest Girl at the Party. You’ll be happy you did.

Saddest Girl at the Party is available digitally and on cassette via BandCamp.

Michael Stroneski, editor at mvsicthovght, has started several blogs and multi-media projects you’ve never seen. He is a life-long cheerleader for Connecticut and underground music. You can reach him at contact@mvsicthovght.com