Cody Critcheloe aka SSION is a New York City based songwriter, musician, visual artist and director. For over a decade, Critcheloe has recorded and toured as the music act SSION – pronounced “SHUN” – releasing the full lengths albums Fools Gold in 2008 and Bent in 2012, with 2018 seeing the release of new album “O”. What began as a high school punk band in Kentucky and Kansas City has since evolved into a multidimensional pop performance project known for its bending of genre, infectious pop hooks and a string of critically acclaimed self-directed music video for songs like “My Love Grows in The Dark,” “Earthquake”, “Luvbazaar,” and “High.”
Fusing elements of grunge, psychedelic rock, glam, punk and ‘80’s MTV pop, SSION synthesizes a young lifetime of turn-of-the-millennium sonic references into an aesthetically singular vision of modern song craft. This has earned him a rabid and devoted fan base that extends from Brooklyn to California, Mexico, Spain, France, England, Russia, Canada, the Midwest and beyond. SSION’s fun and defiant pop output recalls a more progressive and liberated eta in popular music, placing him within the lineage of artists like Henry Rollins, Freddie Mercury, George Michael, Pet Shop Boys, David Bowie, Boy George and Roxy Music.
SSION’s 2012 release Bent garnered huge amounts of international attention and was accompanied by critically acclaimed music videos for “My Love Grows in The Dark,” “Earthquake”, “Luvbazaar,” and “High.”
The album’s lead single, “Psy-Chic”, is a delicious tease: just under three minutes of propulsive bass arpeggio, fluttering synths, and Critcheloe singing, in an airy and inviting voice, the kind of chorus that could loop on forever. “Nothing Happens at Nite”, spaces Critchloe’s usually dense approach out over eight minutes, making for a kind of dubby, sun-rising house track that’s subtly moving. Other tracks include the muted beatboxing of “Growin”, the drippy snaps occasionally overwhelmed by oppressive drum pulse on “Feelz Good (4-EVR)” and the brightly upbeat “My Love Grows in the Dark”.
Bent LP:
Listen 2 The Grrls
Blonde With U
Psy-Chich
Luvvbazaar
Earthquake
High
Growin
Credit In The Straight World
Feelz Good (4-EVR)
My Love Grows In The Dark
Nothing Happens at Nite
Weird Yearz
Bentmoves *
Psy-Chic (Chops and Screws MNDR Remix)
Psy-Chic (Avan Lava Remix)
Weird Yearz (Das Hussy Remix)
My Love Grows In The Dark (Physical Therapy Stink Remix)