18 years ago I felt a bittersweetness towards this release. I was glad a new studio album had come out but disappointed that Christine was not involved. How galling to be SO CLOSE to an actual studio follow up to the lineup that made Tango! I expected to be underwhelmed and admittedly was on the first listen. But then, after a few more tries, the album got under my skin and I admired how SUBSTANTIAL it really is. Substantial—that’s my prevailing critique of SYW. It’s uneven, possibly overlong, but meaty, innovative, and original. Lindsey and Stevie’s songs do not always hang together well but many of those very songs are impressive on an individual basis. Stevie’s tunes are especially strong, though two of Lindsey’s are among my favorites (Red Rover, Goodbye). I was and am sill moved by Illume. So often, Stevie exploits collective tragedies for self promotion but her performance of this song really puts you in the headspace of someone reeling from 9-11. Everybody Finds Out is amazeballs and Throw Down may be one of her best single songs since the 1970s.
So, yeah, I missed Christine and the way her songs often glued together the work of these star-crossed ex-lovers, but SYW is a genuine album, a real creative effort that, in terms of its integrity, surpasses MIRAGE and TANGO, both of which were created largely to ensure continued commercial success.
And I eventually got over the absence of Christine when, one year later, she gave us ITM, my favorite of her solo albums.
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