Suzanne Vega
Songs in Red and Gray
(A&M Records)
By: Jeff Leisawitz - ModernRock.com
It's been awhile since the world has heard from Suzanne Vega. The urban folkster best known for her eighties mega hit, "Luka," has been out of sight for the past few years choosing to spend time with her young daughter rather than make records and tour the world.
Songs in Red and Gray marks the triumphant return of this brilliant artist. Inspired by her participation in the Greenwich Village Songwriter's Exchange, the thirteen tracks on this disc recall the acoustic roots that originally elevated Vega into the national spotlight.
Tracks like "(I'll Never Be) Your Maggie May" and "It Makes Me Wonder" sparkle with Rupert Hine's crystalline production. But beneath the shiny fingerpicking and translucent rhythms lies subtle synth and string layers that adds to the depths of these songs.
On "Penitent," the album's lead cut, Vega considers the pull of her fate. This is a common theme for this singer. Her voice arches and sways into breathy whispers at every turn. If you didn't know better you would swear that she's a sad, earthbound angel.
Vega consistently uses poet images and metaphors to explore the dark corners of her world. Still recovering from a heart breaking divorce, she speaks words that are unbelievably poignant on tracks like, "Soap and Water." "Daddy's a dark riddle/ Momma's a head full of bees/ You are my little kite/ Carried away in the wayward breeze."
The single, "Widow's Walk," drops the mystery altogether. Vega explains the details of her broken marriage with tales of seafaring ships and elusive horizons. It's another sad song, one that many people can relate to.
Suzanne Vega's 2001 offering does not try to compete with the anger, outrage and volume levels of many young rock bands. Instead, this singer-songwriter articulately channels her pain into gorgeously crafted words and melodies. For a truly beautiful and haunting journey into the shattered world of a restless heart, tune into the brilliant CD, Songs in Red and Gray.
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