99.9 F - Suzanne Vega (1992)

Ideated from: a favorite album that starts with a “9”

Vega has always been a great songwriter, and that’s not in doubt on this record. It sounds to me like this was an attempt at pop relevance, adding more drums and synths to her previously bare-bones folk sound.

I don’t know much about the album’s producer Mitchell Froom, but he made a couple of records with Richard Thompson that have a similar flavor: trying to bury otherwise excellent songs in period-locked studio slickness.

It’s much better than I’m making it sound. If you like Vega with a minimal arrangement then this isn’t your thing. But you can hear her expanding her sound out from the folkie tradition and becoming a more dynamic artist.

Bonus fact: Vega would end up marrying Froom shortly after this, and they have a daughter named Ruby Froom. Ruby is the namesake of the Soul Coughing album produced by Froom collaborator Tchad Blake.

Tracks I Liked

Blood Makes Noise - Don’t know if this was a stab at a folk version of Nine Inch Nails or what, but it’s kind of a microcosm of the album: a cool song that sounds like a cover by a less capable artist.

99.9 F - an excellent song, and a preview of some of her better and more rock-integrated tunes later on in her career.

If you Were In my Movie - fantastic

Bad Wisdom - a very insightful little lyric, as usual for Vega