Suzy Paradise is a Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter and the creative mastermind behind the emerging multimedia project Suzy & the Lifeguard. And with Suzy & the Lifeguard’s Bleu McAuley cowritten and produced self-tiled 2015 debut, which received a Best Jazz Song with Vocals nomination at the 14th Annual International Music Awards in 2016, Paradise quickly established a unique sound and aesthetic: a sci-fi dream world centered around swampy and sultry jazz and shimmering 60s psych pop paired with her old-timey, late night lounge-like vocals.
Her forthcoming Phil Joly-produced ANIMA EP is slated for a May 1, 2020 release. Recorded in Kauai at a friend’s chocolate farm/music studio, the EP reportedly takes the listener on a sultry and sensual journey through neon-tinged nightlife — with a moody and vibey ambience.“It’s vibier than the last record. It’s a bit darker overall, but it’s also still silly and fun,” Paradise says of the forthcoming EP. “I feel like it’s an honest reflection of not only what I have experienced in the last five years but also the fun and magical space we were in.”
“Take It Slow,” ANIMA‘s slow-burning and sultry first single manages to sound indebted to classic Quiet Storm-era soul and jazz standards, complete with a gorgeous and expressive horn solo. But at its core, the song explores the complex and confusing dichotomy between desiring love and succumbing to lust — with the tacit understanding that in romantic relationships the lines between the two are frequently intertwined.