On her trilogy of albums dedicated to Charles Baudelaires Flowers of Evil, Susanna offered a unique glimpse into her powers of transformation. Each volume uncovered different perspectives on her own music as well as the French poets writing: She reincarnated his poems into hauntingly lonely songs on Baudelaire & Piano, then added flesh to their bones with Elevations tape loops and field recordings. She completes the project with Baudelaire & Orchestra, a self-explanatory title that only hints at the albums layers. Too often, orchestral interpretations of pop music are heavy-handed, but Susanna ensures that the conclusion of the project is just as thoughtful and inventive as the previous two releases. As on Elevation, she widens her creative team, and with the help of composer Jan Martin Smordal, arranger Jarle G. Storlokken, and the KORK Orchestra (the radio orchestra of Norways national broadcaster NRK), she mines Baudelaire & Pianos and Elevations compositions for all the moods they can express. At this point in the project, these songs are standards in Susannas songbook -- when Baudelaire & Orchestra comes to a triumphant end with a brassy version of "The Vampire," it feels like shes playing one of her greatest hits. As rousing as "The Vampire" is, it reflects the care Susanna and company took with giving an orchestral scope to all of the albums pieces. The echoing piano arpeggios of Elevations "Alchemy of Suffering" become swirling strings and flutes that deepen its eldritch mystique; on "Elevation," harp and strings build into gusts that evoke Baudelaires longing for "sky-clear spaces." Several songs are reinvented anew. Baudelaire & Pianos somber "Burial" is now a processional with a marching beat and brass that verges on celebratory, while "Destruction"s taut strings and brass squalls live up to its titles tension and drama. Frequently, Baudelaire & Orchestra emphasizes the beauty of Susannas voice and melodies as well as the songs poignancy, as on the transcendent version of "Obsession." However, the album never strays too far from the source materials darkness and bite thanks to the immersive sound collages created by longtime collaborator Stina Stjern and the immediacy of its live performances. Susanna always commits herself to her interpretations of other artists work completely, but shes accomplished something remarkable with the Baudelaire trilogy. Baudelaire & Piano honed in on her voice and songwriting, Elevation focused on her gift for mood, and Baudelaire & Orchestra put the spotlight on her artistic ambition. As a whole, theyre an inspiring testament to her music and to the different shapes creativity takes. ~ Heather Phares

Rovi