release date: May 5, 2009
format: vinyl / cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,22]
producer: John Congleton, Annie Clark
label: 4AD Records - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "The Strangers" - 2. "Save Me From What I Want" - 4. "Actor Out Of Work" - 6. "Laughing With A Mouth Of Blood" - 7. "Marrow"
2nd studio album by St. Vincent released on the mother-label of Beggars Banquet, 4AD Records. As on her debut Clark plays many instruments herself with the contribution of brass and string players as well as various drummers.
The style is not all that different from her debut. It's still very chamber pop-styled, although, I think that the biggest difference here is that this was recorded using classic instrumentation instead of synths and drum programming, despite the resulting effect is hard to determine.
This may likely be more of a whole, looking at the overall style and sound with tracks reflecting much of the same starting point, but I do like the debut and some of her later works better simply by being less confined in their expressions. It's not that it's entirely bad but when confronted with St. Vincent I just expect that extra spice that doesn't just read laid-back attitude and with the exception of "Actor Out of Work" and "Marrow" is exactly what I find all over this one.
[ allmusic.com, Blender, Uncut 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5, Q Magazine, NME 3 / 5 stars ]
