Suzanne Vega - Songs In Red And Grey (A&M Records 2001)

By Elizabeth Nitz

   Suzanne Vega's much anticipated 2001 release, Songs In Red And Grey, was worth the five-year wait. The sound is as refined as Nine Objects Of Desire but the content is more reminiscent of earlier albums -- easygoing like her self-titled debut, and as always, bleeding with ethereal, compelling melodies from the heart of a true storyteller.
   The title track depicts what is best about this album. The tune itself is beautiful and simple at first, then builds in intensity and complexity from its storm driven rhythm. The lyrics wind a tale of regret for a mysterious long-past romantic encounter.
   The tone of the lyrics is more personal and up-front than before. She tells us of trouble at home in "Soap And Water": "Daddy's a dark riddle, Mama's a head full of bees, you are my little kite, caught up in the wayward breeze." She describes a verbal shootout in "If I Were A Weapon", and likens her marriage to a ship in "Widow's Walk" as she sings, "Though I saw it splinter, I keep looking out to sea, like a dog with little sense, I keep returning."
   This album definitely feels like a culmination of her outstanding musical career to date. As she asks in "It Makes Me Wonder", "Why so high the expectation, who could live up to this?"
   For more information, see www.suzannevega.com

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