Every so often an album comes along that critics fall over themselves for while most of the general public scratches their heads. Is there something they’re not hearing? Is the music just too advanced to be appreciated by the general public? Is it a vast conspiracy involving music labels, foreign spies and ninjas? Well, maybe two out of three.
St. Vincent’s latest self-titled LP is one of these albums. While it certainly earns some of the praise it has been given, naming it Album of the Year, as the Guardian, Entertainment Weekly, and others did, blows it’s virtues considerably out of proportion.
Generally the lead-in for most stories concerning Annie Clark, who records as St. Vincent, is that she’s, well, a bit weird. A talented singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Clark performed with the Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens’ touring band before releasing her solo debut Marry Me in 2007. Her music is an interesting hybrid of pop, prog rock and electronica, and she earns her reputation for strangeness via quirky lyrics, album covers and performances.
The best tracks on St. Vincent are definitely noteworthy. The album opener ‘Rattlesnake’ and lead single ‘Birth in Reverse’ feel more focused than her past releases, tuneful and catchy with just enough avant garde styling to keep things interesting. She mines slightly subversive topics on ‘Birth in Reverse’ (“Oh what an ordinary day/ Take out the garbage, masturbate”) but its mostly tongue-in-cheek and Clark never commits the cardinal sin of taking herself too seriously.
‘Prince Johnny’ is another important track that mixes highly personal lyrics with an innovative and catchy melody to create a prime example of song as art. There’s social commentary, personal catharsis and whip-smart pop sensibility all in one tidy four and a half minute package.
‘Digital Witness’ and ‘Huey Newton’ are high-quality efforts as well but things start to go downhill on the latter half of St. Vincent. The ballad ‘I Prefer Your Love’ doesn’t have much staying power and songs like ‘Bring Me Your Loves’ and ‘Psychopath’ have plenty of theatrics but a dearth of substance. Still, while it may be covertly top-heavy, the album as a whole is an engaging piece of work and deserves a good listen.
