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Boosted by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
evilchili@linernotes.club wrote:
Suzanne Vega - Flying With Angels
Origin: Brooklyn via Galway
#TastingNotes: Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Lou Reed, Carole KingFlying With Angels, Vega's first record of new material since the very excellent Queen of Pentacles in 2014, is immediately recognizable: 10 tracks of nuanced, earnest songwriting presenting a rogue's gallery of characters with a unifying through-line. In this case, struggle: these are songs of unrequited love, of social anxiety, of partings, and of the power of standing together.
Sonically too it is immediately recognizable: simple, clear arrangements with just enough harmonic cleverness to surprise. I really like the title track, with its shimmering, tense verses, stanky chromaticism and malleted tom toms. We've definitely heard this kind of thing before especially on 9 Objects of Desire, but the album's closest antecedent is probably 99. 9? The biggest surprises are the excellent Rats, as close to NYC punk rock she's likely to get, the Achtung Babyesque Witch, with its cryptic lyrics and simmering rage, and the Barry White revival Love Thief, which proves Vega can turn her pen to any style she cares to explore.
If you're already a fan, you're going to love this record like a postcard from an old friend. If you only know Tom's Diner, this is a great place to begin!