Florida-based singer/songwriter Damion Suomi (pronounced "sue-me") crafts elegant, drink-fueled lamentations and explosive, midtempo rockers with one ear cocked toward the dusty world of alternative country and the other bent toward the Irish tradition. Suomi spent a number of years in his native Cocoa Beach filling time in various local bands before striking out on his own. His eponymous debut album, a collection of tunes that were "birthed from pubs, drinks, and relationships," was released on the P Is for Panda label in early 2009. ~ James Christopher Monger