St. Vincent "All Born Screaming" (2024)

All Born Screaming

release date: Apr. 26, 2024

format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,56]

producer: St. Vincent

label: Total Pleasure - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Hell Is Near" - 2. "Reckless" (live) - 3. "Broken Man" (live) - 4. "Flea" - 6. "Violent Times" - 7. "The Power's Out" - 8. "Sweetest Fruit"

8th studio album by St. Vincent follows three years after the generally acclaimed Daddy's Home (May 2021), though, I'm not a fan of that. Actually, The Nowhere Inn (Sep. 2021) is filed as her most recent release but being a soundtrack it doesn't officially belong amongst her studio releases, although, it's more than an ordinary soundtrack being music to afilm with script by Annie Clark and starring Clark herself.

Anyway, this new album unfolds as her so far most electrified and angry album to date. In that regard, it's a warm welcome back to Annie Clark the guitarist; however, in the case of St. Vincent things are not meant to be and cannot be categorised in terms of rock-standards. Clark is a modern musician with a musically schooled background and she is probably one of the most non-conformist acts around, who grabs stylistic impulses like you would pick books on a shelf. Sometimes she builds on a predominantly psychedelic rock tradition but it doesn't take more than a listen to two to three songs here and you have soul, blues, r&b, contemporary pop, indie pop and a whole bunch of other influences blended in.

So what's it like then? Well, critics can't be wrong, can they? They all like it. Alexis Petridis of The Guardian calls it "...the unmasking of a great American songwriter" and claims the album is 'packed with ideas' and yet he also points to the impression that's it contains 'shape-shifting music'. Undoubtedly, the album sounds like the music from no one else - in that regard, St. Vincent is a guarantee of unique music. The other side of that coin is that it sounds exactly like St. Vincent. Some songs build on a stereo-typical matrix of arrangements and of chorus-structures that we've heard about seven times before. Perhaps, critics focus on lyrics and narrative ideas? It's never enough when dealing with music. For me, it leaves me slightly indifferent. No track in particular stand out as one I really enjoy and return to, but yes, it's generally good, and it's better than a lot of other albums, but it's not great. What I really like about it, is the absence of strong influence from one Mr. David Byrne. Apparently, it has taken twelve years to get further into her own soundscape, and that's the most positive, I hear on All Born Screaming, which basically sounds like Clark's continued journey following her best album Mercy from 2011.

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com, NME, Slant 4,5 / 5, Mojo, Rolling Stone 4 / 5, Pitchfork 7,8 / 10, 👉Exclaim! 3,5 / 5, 🙀The Guardian 5 / 5, stars ]

[ digital album may be purchased here ]

St. Vincent "Daddy's Home" (2021)

Daddy's Home

release date: May 14, 2021

format: digital (14 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,12]

producer: Annie Clark & Jack Antonoff

label: Loma Vista Recordings - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Pay Your Way in Pain" (live) - 2. "Down and Out Downtown" - 3. "Daddy's Home" - 4. "Live in the Dream" - 5. "The Melting of the Sun" - 7. "The Laughing Man" - 10. "Somebody Like Me"

7th studio album by St. Vincent follows 2½ years after MassEducation (Oct. 2018), which didn't really offer brand new songs but merely contained acoustic interpretations of songs from Masseduction (Oct. 2017), which still counts as St. Vincent's most recent album, and this new one is like that made in collaboration with producer Jack Antonoff, who is also credited as co-composer on five cuts.

Stylistically, it's unsurprisingly a new mix that Annie Clark comes up with here, although as her recent releases it's music without her previously distinct guitar signature, which markedly characterised her first albums. Where Masseduction offered experimental synthpop, she has now dressed out in 70s nostalgia with equal parts of psychedelic pop and soft glam rock - or: soft psychedelic rock and glam pop. The songs are quiet ones in a laid-back style with focus on the narrative, and it sounds to me like Clark has plowed through everything with Bowie from Aladdin Sane (1973) to Young Americans (1975) and then with some inspiration from Pink Floyd she has set the stove on a low flame. And St. Vincent does share some traits with Bowie: she is always a distinct persona, based on her latest music, and you never know in which direction she moves from there, but you know it's top-dollar-styled like a new production by Andrew Lloyd Webber without ever revealing the actual living individual behind the mask. In the long run, St. Vincent may touch on enervating, and I'm no (longer) the great St. Vincent fan I used to be after her first three albums where she was Annie Clark - the fabulous musician and brilliant guitarist. Now the whole thing has really gone Big Business and she has to conquer every scene dressed up in a new skin suit matching a new ground tone and new musical ideas. It's completely deliciously produced and beautifully executed, but unfortunately also... touching on boring. It lacks edge and a will to mark itself as anything other than another one of today's greats with an album you'll see high up in the charts and which will be forgotten in a year. Don't forget to make great music!!

Not recommended.

[ allmusic.com, NME, Rolling Stone 4 / 5, 👍Pitchfork 6,7 / 10 stars ]

St. Vincent "MassEducation" (2018)

MassEducation

release date: Oct. 12, 2018

format: digital (12 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,26]

producer: St. Vincent & Thomas Bartlett

label: Loma Vista - nationality: USA

6th studio album by St. Vincent follows one year after Masseduction (Oct. 2019) is an acoustic version of the predecessor recorded with pianist Thomas Bartlett. Together, they reworked and mixed the tracks from Masseduction, resulting in completely sparsely arranged songs centered around piano-driven versions of the songs from the 2017 album.

It may be a clever stunt - certainly af safe one and perhaps not exactly the most demanding process but still, these new takes reflect a completely different life, and some songs sound better in the more minimalist arrangements while others simply lack variety. And that's probably also the great weakness about it - that the songs at one and the same time carry elements of something easily recognisable, not particularly distant from the original and then also doesn't offer a new musical scope. Of course, the songs have more or less the same vocal sound - although Annie Clark sings differently here - and the accompanying piano just never add any big changes throughout the album. And in that way, this is far more of a curiosity than a must.

Best of 2017:St. Vincent "Masseduction" (2017)

Masseduction
release date: Oct. 13, 2017
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,06]
producer: Jack Antonoff and St. Vincent
label: Loma Vista - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Hang on Me" - 2. "Pills" - 3. "Masseduction" - 5. "Los Ageless" (live) - 7. "Saviour" (live) - 8. "New York" - 9. "Fear the Future"
[ live solo and acoustic on KEXP ]

5th studio album by St. Vincent co-produced by John Congleton and with Lars Stalfors.
With this, Annie Clark establishes herself as a purer art pop artist than on her previous releases. The noise pop attitudes are more low-key - bits are found here and there but the dominating picture is one of restrained originality taking a move as to embrace both earlier fans of her experimental and progressive rock as well a more recent audience who found her St. Vincent album more digestible. It's her most dance-able release so far and several tracks are touching synthpop meets electropop glued together with a glam rock attitude. But as with her previous albums this is truly a conglomerate of styles.
The album harvested fine reviews and it has become her best selling album to date reaching number #10 on the Billboard 200 in the US and number #6 in the UK. It ended high up on many year-end lists including a first spot on lists by the New York Times and The Guardian.
Musically, she has moved into the spotlight and I think it shows very much in her professional attitude. Earlier she contained and reflected a vulnerability that has been disguised by now. Sometimes I cannot stop thinking of her as an American PJ Harvey. She has the same directness, sexual awareness and a link to a Patti Smith / Janis Joplin-strong-women-of-rock-personality. It's also clear that her new-found (glamorous) image is far from her earlier open-hearted appearance (just watch some of her live performances).
I find this her most cohesive album so far and it appears as a true conceptual album with "Pills" and "Los Ageless" as my immediate favourites but also the title track and "New York" are fine songs, and where her previous works nearly all contained hits and misses this one keeps a high quality throughout, and that's ultimately why it's such a fascinating ride.
In a year with few truly great releases, I find this the most gripping.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, The Guardian, NME, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

2017 Favourite releases: 1. St. Vincent Masseduction - 2. Paul Weller A Kind of Revolution - 3. Love Shop Risiko

St. Vincent "St. Vincent" (2014)

St. Vincent
release date: Feb. 25, 2014
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,92]
producer: John Congleton
label: Loma Vista Recordings - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "Birth in Reverse" - 6. "I Prefer Your Love"

4th studio album by St. Vincent - her first on Loma Vista. John Cogleton is producer as he was co-producer on her previous two albums - here, he is fully in charge.
The album follows Strange Mercy from 2011, however, Annie Clark made the collaboration album Love This Giant with David Byrne in 2013, and that teamwork seems to have had its impact on Clark. Gone are the noise pop elements and instead her music has become more orchestrated - less simplistic.
Annie Clark is such a gifted woman and does so well on her own. Her previous solo releases all document this. Sadly, Mr. Byrne has a bad habit of infecting talented artists - he was eager to jump on the Arcade Fire train as soon as that took off - he had it slowed or derailed, and he then put his live-less hands around Annie and persuaded her into collaborative work. That experience [read: Byrne's mere presence] sadly disturbed Annie so much that her music here seems infected by ideas of a [parasitic] lesser artist. Annie, please get back on track!
Yes, that may sound harsh, but I never  have been a fan of Mr. Byrne, and it's quite obvious how her music and style has changed on this. I find it less originally sounding - as an attempt to satisfy a mainstream audience, which isn't necessarily just bad, but Clark's distinct sound and style is what makes her interesting, and that is almost gone here. "Rattlesnake" sounds more like Björk, and the album's highest ranked single "Digital Witness" (track #17) is a tedious Talking Heads-like [yea, yawn!] composition that reflect no originality whatsoever.
Regardless, my objection, the album was well-received by the press and fans as it became her best selling album to date reaching number #12 in the US and number #21 in the UK. Several music magazines (including NME, Slant and musicOMH) put it on top of their end-list of 2014.
Although, it's not as poor and indifferent as her collaboration work with Byrne, I find it her least interesting solo album to date.
[ allmusic.com, NME, Rolling Stone, Spin 4 / 5, The Guardian 5 / 5 stars ]

David Byrne & St. Vincent "Love This Giant" (2012)

Love This Giant
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 ]

St. Vincent "Krokodil" (2012) (single)

Krokodil, single
release date: Apr. 21, 2012
format: digital
[single rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: ? [Annie Clark] [uncredited]
label: 4AD Records - nationality: USA

Tracklist: A) "Krokodil" (live) - - B) "Grot"

Single release by St. Vincent released for Record Store Day 2012 and limited to 2.500 copies.
Both compositions differ somewhat from her usual style as they are both noise pop and especially the B-side track is loaded with progressive pop.

St. Vincent "4AD Session" (2012) (ep) (live)

4AD Session, ep (live)
release date: Apr. 10, 2012
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: ? [video directed by Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard]
label: 4AD - nationality: USA

Tracklist: 1. "Chloe in the Afternoon" - 2. "Surgeon" - 3. "Strange Mercy" - 4. "Cheerleader" - 5. "Year of the Tiger"
[ full session ]

5-track live ep by St. Vincent aka Annie Clark shot at Shangri-La Studios in Brooklyn and released on 4AD Records.
The 5 songs are all tracks from her most recent album Strange Mercy from 2011. The songs are not entirely performed as to resemble the album versions. Her guitar is much more unclean here, both more jazz- and rock-inspired, which adds that extra to the album versions that you want when listening to live versions of familiar songs.
This is great experimental art pop, and what a treat it is to see a woman play guitar like that. It's raw, energetic, and brilliantly unique. Love her voice and guitar sound.
Too bad she paired up with ex-Talking Heads 'big head', David Byrne later on in 2012 making Love This Giant (2012). Although, I haven't yet heard the album, as I cannot stand Mr. Byrne. One day, I have to give it a chance, though, and no matter what, Annie Clark do so well on her own.

St. Vincent "Strange Mercy" (2011)

Strange Mercy
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 ]

St. Vincent "Actor" (2009)

Actor
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 ]

St. Vincent "Marry Me" (2007)

Marry Me [debut]
release date: Jul. 10, 2007
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: Annie Clark with Brian Teasley and Daniel Farris
label: Beggars Banquet - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Now, Now" (live) - 3. "Your Lips Are Red" - 4. "Marry Me" - 5. "Paris Is Burning"

Studio album debut by St. Vincent [aka Annie Clark - birth-name: Anne Erin Clark], former member and guitarist of (project-band) The Polyphonic Spree (from 2003-06). According to Clark, she had already begun work on the album before joining with The Polyphonic Spree, and while opening for Surfjan Stevens at a concert in London she made contact with Beggars Banquet.
The album has a distinct St. Vincent particular sound, which builds on chamber pop and art rock with a certain... quirkiness. It's singer / songwriter material with songs dealing with sadness and hope, love and despair. Some songs are (twee-pop) positive and others more harsh rockers.
I like it, but don't think of it as an immediate favourite.
[ allmusic.com, Slant 4 / 5 stars ]