Suzanne Vega

Close-Up Vol 3, States of Being Cooking Vinyl ***

Suzanne Vega has taken the step of reinterpreting her back- catalogue and segmenting, thematically, the results. The third of her four-volume Close- Up project, States of Being,revisits what Vega refers to as her "mental health songs . . . Not personal, but descriptions of a place deep inside." As well as being one of the US's most interesting female songwriters, Vega is also one of the least obvious, so don't expect any typical love/romance/heartache here; rather, engage with her varying states of mind/being as she narrates songs about brittle breakdown ( Cracking), loss of faith ( Penitent), sexual exploration ( Pornographer's Dream) and, via a theatre piece she recently wrote with US musician Duncan Shiek, shared alcoholism ( Instant of the Hour After). Smart, sharp and accessible – what a pity all singer-songwriters don't follow Vega's lead. See suzannevega. com

Download tracks: My Favorite Plum, Cracking, Instant of the Hour After