Search - :: Suzanne Vega Close Up, Vol. 1: Love Songs

Honest, raw, gutsy and real

Jerry D. Weller | 03/10/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the era of omnipresent auto-tune along comes an artist who has the courage to put her voice out there virtually unprocessed sometimes backed by nothing but her guitar. As a result you will not hear pitch perfect vocals here. Sometimes the deep emotions Suzanne is feeling as she sings cause her voice to waver or quake.



So why does this effort rate 5 stars? Stripping away the studio trappings means you will experience a deep emotional connection to every word Suzanne sings. The words remain pristine and poetic and in these stripped down arrangements they shine like diamonds. Many of the old songs are rephrased, sang in new ways by a more mature artist. Songs such as "Harbor Song" reveal their true emotional power in whole new ways when the external trappings have been stripped away.



Finally, Suzanne Vega is a true singer/songwriter. You won't find six different people claiming credit on every song she sings as is the case with so many other "singer/songwriters" who have never written a single song by themselves and won't sing anything somebody else writes unless they get a piece of the songwriting credits and the royalties. Suzanne is the real deal! This album is worth your time and money.



"