Susto und Susto Stringband

"Named after a medical syndrome that’s specific to Latin American culture and roughly translates as “panic attack,” Susto lives up to its moniker. The Charleston, S.C., country-rock band specializes in spooked, sneaky songs that often employ single-note guitar licks playing the melody. The best tunes on Susto’s 2014 self-titled debut sound like versions of mid-’60s Everly Brothers records, complete with Glen Campbell-esque guitar parts. The excellent Susto track, “Vampiro 66,” lays out the thrills and disappointments of small-town bohemianism in exemplary, self-mocking fashion: “Eternal life, well, it ain’t that bad when you’ve got your friends around,” bandleader Justin Osborne sings. “You sleep all day and drink all night.” Osborne and fellow singer and guitarist John Kuiper bring a light touch to their tales of provincial ennui and the lure of rock ’n’ roll — rarely has incipient panic been so gracefully described." -EDD HURT