release date: Sep. 11, 2012
format: cd
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,48]
producer: David Byrne, Annie Clark (co-pro. by Patrick Dillett & John Congleton)
label: 4AD Records - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 4. "Ice Age" - 8. "Lazarus"
Collaboration album by David Byrne and Annie Clark released by 4AD Records and written and produced by Byrne and Clark.
Stylistically, this is a more mainstream release than Clark normally produces. It's a conglomerate of styles - much like what Mr. Byrne has become associated with after his time in Talking Heads. There's an abundance of brass and string arrangements, a bold use of percussion and generally speaking - and much to my dislike: a sense of overproduction sound with bits fillings here and there.
The collaboration work soon attracted much attention, the album peaked at number #23 on the American Billboard 200, and critics welcomed the result with positive reviews.
I really don't like the result. Several tracks have an awkward 'calypso' touch that doesn't make things better. Worst example is "The One Who Broke Your Heart". To me, it's everything that represents David Byrne and that St. Vincent is not. It's over-loaded with instruments and effects - to cover the fact that the compositions cannot stand alone. It's an album, I only ever wanted to know because I really like St. Vincent, but the result lives up to my negative expectations: It has Byrne's fingerprints all over it, and that means that it will be an album that I consider best be forgotten.
Not recommended.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, The Guardian 4 / 5 stars ]
