St. Vincent – St. Vincent

Review: St. Vincent – St. Vincent

Published on March 17th, 2014 | Jonny Abrams

St. Vincent’s Love This Giant album with Talking Heads legend David Byrne was this writer’s introduction to her eccentric charms, and a mighty impressive one at that.

From listening to her self-titled fourth album, it seems we perhaps hadn’t given her enough credit for her role in it all – St. Vincent is teeming with the kind of rubbery, colourful electronics and rumbling, crumply beats that illuminated Love This Giant, while sharing a predilection for draping sweet melodies over them with a designer’s flair.

“Am I the only one in the only world?” we are asked on opener “Rattlesnake”, and verily – yes folks, verily – has she forged her own universe out of precisely this sort of delightful oddness.

However, there’s plenty more at play: the crunchy, mid-period Beatles 7th chords on “Birth in Reverse”, the harrumphing horns on funky single “Digital Witness”, the snatch of crazed a cappella concealed amidst “Bring Me Your Loves”, and such lyrical talking points as “Remember when we went and snorted / A piece of the Berlin Wall that you’d extorted” (from “Prince Johnny”).

Contrary to the violence and disruption of hope implied by its title, “Severed Crossed Fingers” brings St. Vincent to a close on a graceful, stately note – you know, just in case you still weren’t sure of the breadth of Annie Clark’s talents. This is fabulous stuff.

St. Vincent is out now on Caroline International License Internal.

BUY: St. Vincent on iTunes or on Amazon.

Rocksucker says: Four and a Half Quails out of Five!

a quail a quail a quail a quail half a quail

Artists: st. vincent

About the Author

Jonny Abrams Editor of Rocksucker and the website's founder, Jonny is passionate about the music he listens to, both good and bad, as well as interviewing his favourite musicians.