Album Spotlight: Susto’s 'Ever Since I Lost My Mind'

Susto

Hailing from Charleston, South Carolina, Susto has been called an alt-folk act. I’ll say this is a rock band, because what is alt-folk if not Americana? What is Americana if not alt-country? What is alt-country if not Southern rock?

Susto’s third album, Ever Since I Lost My Mind (produced by Nashvillian Ian Fitchuk, Grammy-nominated producer for Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour), is a showcase for frontman Justin Osborne’s masterful songwriting. It’s tasteful and subtle in the gentle parts, but there are major guitar moments and heavy tones, such on the first single “Homeboy,” which starts with chugging acoustics but then breaks into angsty electric wails at the chorus. These songs could stand strong stripped down to just an acoustic, or blaze on with full band. The narrative and melodies are that powerful. An album that tells a story… I miss this. What is rock ’n’ roll if not the soundtrack of our lives?

Must-hear tracks: “Weather Balloons,” “Off You”