release date: Sep. 13, 2011
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]
producer: John Congleton
label: 4AD Records - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "Chloe in the Afternoon" - 2. "Cruel" (4 / 5) - 3. "Cheerleader" - 4. "Surgeon" - 11. "Year of the Tiger"
3rd studio album by St. Vincent is like the predecessor produced by John Congleton and released through (British label) 4AD Records.
Stylistically, Annie Clark has moved away from the predominantly chamber pop heard on her two previous full length albums and made a more bold art pop and indie pop album, which incorporates elements from noise pop and progressive rock.
The album reached number #19 on the Billboard 200 in the US - surpassing the 2009 album with some 70 spots on that list, and popular magazines as Q Magazine, NME, and Uncut all ranked the album high on their best of 2011 year-end lists.
I easily find it her so far best album starting off very strongly with four fine compositions, after which it fades somewhat.
[ allmusic.com, The Guardian 4 / 5, NME, Spin 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 stars ]
