The New Oldies: #5 Album of the Year 2025: Suzanne Vega – Flying With Angels

Something seems to be missing these days. It seems that record companies, radio stations, and streaming services are pushing some the great established musicians to the background. As a result these veteran artists are not getting the attention they deserve. Enter the Top 10 Album Countdown: The New Oldies. The main point is simple – to make this list you must have at least 20 years of producing established music. The album by the artist must have been released between November 1st, 2024 and October 31st, 2025.

#5 Album of the Year 2025: Suzanne Vega – Flying with Angels

There are always some surprises that show up when I curate the New Oldies Top Ten for the Year. When it comes to Suzanne Vega’s Flying with Angels, this is one of them. First up to think of Suzanne Vega at 66 years old is astonishing. It seemed like yesterday when my college roommate Ted introduced me to Vega with her folk-pop-alternative Solitude Standing. In 2025, Vega came off a near decade-long break of new music, so my question would be could she mount a comeback at this late stage of her career.

There is a lot to like about Flying with Angels. As far as lyrics go, they are strong providing a mix of socio-political commentary and her own personal challenges (including. The Witch, deals with her own struggles as her husband Paul Mills suffered multiple strokes),

Perhaps what is most interesting is the variety of styles that Vega delivers. Vega shakes her folk-pop reputation she is well-known for. There is the Philadelphia-infused soulful Love Thief, the modern rock-infused Witch and Rats (This track reminds me of Blondie), and a country-music inspired Lucinda (tribute to Lucinda Williams). The closing track Galway, shows us Vega still hasn’t lost her folk-pop-alternative roots.

I found this to a deep lyrical album that taps a lot of different musical genres. I didn’t expect that from Suzanne Vega, making this an absolute home run for 2024.