Suzanne Vega Flying With Angels
Suzanne Vega's Flying With Angels finds her back in the mode of composed, observant storytelling, where literary character sketches and political directness coexist with moments of spiritual transcendence. Across three professional reviews the record earned a 72.67/100 consensus score, and critics consistently point to songs that blend urban grit with folky R&B textures as its strongest assets.
Reviewers name “Speakers' Corner”, “Last Train from Mariupol” and “Rats” among the best songs on Flying With Angels, praising Vega's knack for outsider perspectives and sharply rendered scenes. Mojo highlights the political urgency and aching beauty of “Speakers' Corner” and “Last Train From Mariupol”, while The Independent emphasizes character-driven pieces such as the title track and “Chambermaid”. Louder Than War singles out the album's punchier edges, calling “Rats” a startling, punk-tinged counterpoint to the record's elegiac moments. Critics consistently note thematic threads - disinformation, identity and dislocation, solitude and survival - anchored by Vega's precise lyricism.
While opinions vary on pacing and production, with some reviewers longing for broader sonic risk, the consensus suggests Flying With Angels is a rewarding entry in Vega's catalog that balances narrative ambition with concise songwriting. For readers asking whether Flying With Angels is worth listening to, professional reviews agree it contains standout tracks and narrative depth that will satisfy longtime fans and those drawn to literate, character-led songs.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Love Thief
2 mentions
"Love Thief, for instance, which is realised (by a stroke of genius) as a slow, spacey soul jam."— Mojo
Speakers' Corner
3 mentions
"Tracks like Speakers Corner and Witch see her responding to the disinformation space with an elegant snarl."— Mojo
Speakers' Corner and Witch
1 mention
"Tracks like Speakers Corner and Witch see her responding to the disinformation space with an elegant snarl."— Mojo
Tracks like Speakers Corner and Witch see her responding to the disinformation space with an elegant snarl.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Speakers' Corner
Flying with Angels
Witch
Chambermaid
Love Thief
Lucinda
Last Train from Mariupol
Alley
Rats
Galway
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 5 critics who reviewed this album
mu
Critic's Take
Suzanne Vega returns on Flying With Angels with the kind of composed, observant songs that made her voice a refuge - the title track and “Chambermaid” feel like prime examples. Helen Brown hears Vega channelling outsiders again, so the best songs on Flying With Angels are those that breathe life into characters, notably “Flying with Angels” and “Chambermaid”. The political bite of “Speakers' Corner” and the elegiac “Last Train from Mariupol” show her range, from directness to lullaby melancholy, which is why fans asking for the best tracks on Flying With Angels will find these standout moments most rewarding.
Key Points
-
The title track is best for its elegant character life-breathing and perfect fit for Vega’s strengths.
-
The album’s core strengths are compositional poise, character-driven lyrics, and a steady, outward-facing tone that re-empowers solitude.
Themes
Critic's Take
An acute observer, Suzanne Vega returns with Flying With Angels, an album whose best tracks - notably “Speakers' Corner” and “Last Train From Mariupol” - mix political urgency with aching beauty in the reviewer’s telling. The record’s standout moments come when Vega channels razor-sharp lyrical focus into vivid sonic detail, from the elegant snarl of “Witch” to the stately poignancy of “Last Train From Mariupol”. There is pleasure too in the inventive reworkings of form - the slow, spacey soul of “Love Thief” and the laconic lo-fi loops of “Lucinda” show how she refreshes her folk instincts. In this frame, Flying With Angels feels like an album that boldly meets the moment while offering songs you will point to as the best tracks on Flying With Angels.
Key Points
-
The best song(s) are those that marry political urgency and beauty, especially "Last Train From Mariupol" for its poignancy and haunting vocals.
-
The album's core strengths are razor-sharp lyrics, tasteful production, and inventive blending of folk with R&B and new-wave textures.
Themes
Critic's Take
In a nimble, vividly observant voice Suzanne Vega threads urban grit and spiritual mystery across Flying With Angels, and the best songs - notably “Speakers' Corner” and “Rats” - show her at her sharpest. The reviewer's tone is admiring and precise, praising the life-affirming sweep of “Speakers' Corner” and the startling punk urgency of “Rats”. Vega's storytelling - from chambermaids to witches - gives the best tracks emotional heft and narrative daring. The result is an album that flies by in under 38 minutes yet adds lustre to her career.
Key Points
-
The best song, "Speakers' Corner", is best for its urgent commentary on free speech and vivid quoted lines.
-
The album's core strengths are narrative songwriting, tonal variety, and emotionally resonant, concise tracks.