Suzanne Vega
Album: Tales From the Realm of the Queen on Pentacles
Label: Cooking Vinyl
Tracks: 10
Website: http://www.suzannevega.com

It's hard to believe that it is nearly thirty years since Suzanne Vega released her self-titled debut album which featured the classic "Marlene On the Wall". Her new album "Tales From the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles" is her first album of new material since 2007's "Beauty and Crime" and it's an absolute belter.

Suzanne seems to have a penchant for mysticism, as many of the songs here have connections to the spiritual world. Indeed, the "Queen of Pentacles" referred to in the album's title is a character from a Tarot card, a Mother Earth figure, whose card is the most nurturing in the Tarot deck. In the song "Fool's Complaint", Suzanne tells us how she "hates the Queen of Pentacles, sitting on her golden throne, in her domestic tyranny" and how, instead, her card is The Fool. This song is set to a catchy, folk-rock track with radio-friendly guitar and superb backing vocals from Catherine Russell, who has also worked with David Bowie and Paul Simon.

The album begins strongly with the allegorical "Crack In the Wall" in which we are told that a crack appeared in a wall and a door sprang up around it. Naturally, Suzanne passes through the door [in true Narnia style] into an idyllic world of wonder. Of course, it cannot last and Suzanne finds herself waking from the dream. In anyone else's hands, this might seem a little far-fetched but somehow Suzanne makes it all sound perfectly plausible.

"I Never Wear White" is an untypical [for Suzanne] slice of garage rock with heavy, distorted guitars in which she recounts how her colour is black as "black is the truth of my situation" and that "white is for virgins".

In total contrast, this raucous track is followed a delicate, intricate, acoustic folk song "Portrait of the Knight of Wands". The Knight of Wands is another Tarot card character, who represents the pursuit of new ideas and the desire to put them into action or, as Suzanne puts it "his mission, the transmission of technology". This is a lovely, atmospheric track with filigree acoustic guitar interspersed with electronic sounds.

Suzanne ventures into a new area [for her] on "Don't Uncork What You Can't Contain", wherein she samples the 50 Cent hit song "Candy Shop". This is a most innovative track with a heavy rhythm track laid down by bass player Tony Levin [King Crimson, Peter Gabriel] and drummer Sterling Campbell [David Bowie, B52's]over which Suzanne sings and sometimes raps, accompanied by a swirling Middle Eastern-influenced orchestral arrangement.

Perhaps the most affecting song on the album is "Silver Bridge" on which Suzanne muses on the journey between life and death as she keeps vigil over a person who is soon to depart this world - "sent him upstairs with a kiss". It's an extraordinary, thought-provoking song which is one of the most moving that you're ever likely to hear.

Not far behind "Silver Bridge" both in proximity on the album and in terms of emotion is the similarly affecting "Song of the Stoic" where the subject has been "working all my days" and "looks forward to the day my body gains release". This superb hook-laden song features Bob Dylan sideman Larry Campbell on banjo, a majestic string arrangement and powerful backing vocals from Catherine Russell.

The final track "Road Beyond This One[Horizon] for Vaclav Havel" closes the album in superb style, with its chiming, Byrds-like 12-string guitar and a magnificent trumpet solo by Alison Balsom.

In summary, this is a wonderful new album by Suzanne Vega. It is bold and innovative and it ranks with the best of her work. Her songwriting has never been better and the musicianship is exemplary. Highly recommended.

Peter Cowley