Widely regarded as one of the foremost songwriters of her generation, Suzanne Vega emerged as a leading figure of the folk-music revival of the early 1980s when, accompanying herself on acoustic guitar, she sang what has been called contemporary folk or neo-folk songs of her own creation in Greenwich Village clubs. Since the release of her self-titled, critically acclaimed 1985 debut album, she has given sold-out concerts in many of the world’s best-known venues.

Bearing the stamp of a masterful storyteller who “observes the world with a clinically poetic eye” (The New York Times), Vega’s songs have tended to focus on city life, ordinary people and real-world subjects. Notably succinct and understated, her work is immediately recognisable—as utterly distinct and thoughtful as it was when her voice was first heard on the radio over 30 years ago.

Back in 2010, Suzanne began re-recording and releasing songs from her extensive back catalogue as the “Close-Up” Series. She thought that her fans might like to hear the songs of her past stripped of their original productions, to hear them in an intimate setting, something more personal, that felt like she was singing to them alone. During the recording process for these four albums, Suzanne also decided to rearrange the songs by theme, so people could rediscover them out of their original contexts

The Close Up Series, originally released over a decade ago, is now available in a beautifully packaged and designed Bookpack and is limited to just 2,000 copies worldwide. It includes the Close-Up albums Volumes 1-4, each as a different colour 180g heavyweight vinyl LP. It also contains a 28-page booklet featuring a foreword by Suzanne Vega, a brand new essay by Lenny Kaye and the full lyrics for each song.