Suzanne Vega

Lover, Beloved: Songs From An Evening With Carson McCullers

Cooking Vinyl 9/10

Iconic songwriter celebrates American novelist’s life If the rather unwieldy title hasn’t given it away already, this album finds Vega fulfilling a lifelong ambition to produce a work that pays tribute to the distinguished 20th century American writer whose 1940 book, The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter, propelled her to international fame. The tunes are drawn from the musical of the same name, which seeks to explore the writer’s innermost thoughts at two different points in her career and comprises 10 songs that find Vega assuming the character of McCullers and reflecting on her life. “I feel that McCullers’ ideas and thoughts are very modern," Vega says, “and she incarnates them in a way that other authors don’t. She tried to live them and paid a price for it.” Dramatic lyrical intensity meets Vega’s renowned sense of melody and excellent delivery. There is some serious songcraft in evidence here and the album is an absolute gem. [DM] Standout track: Annemarie For fans of: Joni Mitchell, John Cale