Heat Haze

On Night Suite, SUSS led the listener through a dark desert night in the American Southwest, and Heat Haze picks up where that adventure left off – in the blistering light of a new day, where heat waves rise from the ribbon of asphalt unfolding ahead. The architects of the “ambient country” sound, SUSS built the five tracks of Heat Haze with their unique combination of classic Americana instrumentation: pedal steel, National guitar, harmonica, mandolin, baritone guitar and harmonium, interwoven with loops and synthesizers. These tracks, like Night Suite, have personal resonance for the surviving members of SUSS, as they contain music (most notably the title track Heat Haze) recorded with Gary Leib, one of the band’s original members, who unexpectedly passed away soon after these tracks were completed. This represents his — and the band’s — continued search for an elusive dream on the shimmering horizon.