Portland folk-rock stalwart Susie Blue got sick of fans asking when her full-length record was finally going to be released. Succumbing to the joint pressures of heartbreak and exasperation, Susie is releasing The World Could End Tonight at long last. Susie's always harbored a secret desire to make a twangy, country record. The World Could End Tonight started as a batch of songs inspired by heartbreak, a slow shuffle and a bottle of whiskey. Over time, with the help of many collaborators, the album has evolved into a satisfying amalgam of musical styles. It's not quite the country record Susie originally envisioned, but it still has plenty of satisfying twang to go around. The record speaks to the cooperative, visionary quality of Portland's musical community. The credits read like a who's who of the local scene. Produced by Jason Roark (The Pete Krebs Trio, Sassparilla), mixed by Ezra Holbrook (Little Sue, Lael Alderman, Dr. Theopolis) and graced with the talents of Paul Brainard (Richmond Fontaine), David Langenes (The Stolen Sweets, The Pete Krebs Trio), Skip vonKuske (Vagabond Opera, The Portland Cello Project), Jen Bernard (The Stolen Sweets), Keith Brush (The Stolen Sweets, The Pete Krebs Trio), Todd Bayles (Dirty Martini) and others, The World Could End Tonight is a living testament to the Portland's music community's sense of inspirational camaraderie. And it's about damn time. Susie released her record, and can finally sleep, knowing the world could end. Tonight. Susie Blue Local singer/songwriter Susie Blue celebrates the release of her excellent new album, “The World Could End Tonight,” with a record release show at the newly reopened Mississippi Studios. The record is a gorgeous waltz through time and space; a vaguely alt-country square dance that weaves in and out of love and loss and offers no easy solutions. If you’re looking for solace, you may have found a fellow traveler. If you’re looking for answers to life’s thornier questions, you may have stumbled upon a soundtrack. 9 p.m. Friday, March 20, Mississippi Studios, 3939 N. Mississippi Ave., 503-288-3895, $12 MUSIC The Oregonian # • Show and album reviews from The Oregonian's Luciana Lopez # • MP3s and downloads # • Send Us Your: News | Events | Photos Browse by day: Browse by week: PORTLAND JAZZ FEST Jazz Fest • Patricia Barber shows off beautiful sound, strange magic • Music podcast: Ben Darwish at Jimmy Mak's • Kurt Elling closes the jazz festival • Jazz fest roundup: Lou Donaldson, Bobby Hutcherson, Aaron Parks, Patricia Barber MORE JAZZ FEST » CELEBRITY NEWS House of fame Miley Cyrus says her Hannah Montana days are winding down Miley Cyrus says her Hannah Montana days are winding down Parade Fred Durst's New Film, Limp Bizkit Reunion Fred Durst's New Film, Limp Bizkit Reunion MORE NEWS & GOSSIP » RADIO Scott Fisher Scott Fisher # Waterfront Blues Fest # Music Festival Jukebox # Holiday Radio MORE OREGON RADIO » PODCASTS PDX Popcast by Luciana Lopez and The Oregonian • Music podcast: Christian Scott at Someday Lounge • Podcast: Stephanie Schneiderman's "Dangerous Fruit" • Music podcast and daily pick: Back Door Slam at Berbati's MORE POP MUSIC PODCASTS » ADVERTISEMENT • Free Moving Quotes from Relocation.com, the smart way to start your move NW CD: Susie Blue, "The World Could End Tonight" by Barbara Mitchell, Special to The Oregonian Friday March 20, 2009, 11:49 AM Themes of loss permeate the new album from Portland singer-songwriter Susie Blue. "The World Could End Tonight" may not be the country album Blue set out to create, but it's a country album in the classic sense -- filled with cry-in-your-beer songs about love gone wrong, regret, goodbyes and confusion, infused with a palpable sense of longing. "I just want to write you a love song, but it came up blank," she sings on "Wait." "I just want to write you a love song, but our boat went and sank." The music -- a loping, gentle slice of twang -- plays it cool behind her, but Blue's voice betrays her raging sea of emotion. By the time she builds to the chorus, pleading, "Wait, wait, nobody loves you like I do," you're pleading alongside her. Blue is joined on the album by a veritable Who's Who of Portland talent (including Richmond Fontaine's Paul Brainard, Jen Bernard, Keith Brush and David Langenes from the Stolen Sweets, and Dirty Martini's Todd Bayles) but they wisely remain her supporting cast, allowing her the spotlight she deserves. Blue's expressive voice and plainspoken lyrics hit the emotional bull's eye every time, conveying a naked, vulnerable ache. For Blue, who spent the past couple of years coping with the loss of her father and the end of a long-term relationship, the album is no doubt a source of catharsis and closure. For the listener, it's a beautiful document of heartbreak; a lovely, alt-countrified pop record from an engaging talent.