I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up as my AOTY, there will need to be something truly amazing to top it. But that’s okay — that’s how we like her. As a wholly independent publication, we rely entirely on our ad bookings to keep The Quietus going. http://youtu.be/lgZWGJZHkGM, Album Rating: 3.0Surprised its average is holding up, Album Rating: 3.0Okay, nevermind it fell to a 4.3. “I have lost a hero, I have lost a friend,” she calls out while wandering the cold streets of album highlight ‘New York’. In the art accompanying the announcement, disembodied legs in stiletto boots stick out of a pink wall, equal parts absurdist and alluring. This may be one of my favorite reviews of yours, and it's not just because of who it's about. “I Prefer Your Love” finds her declaring her emotional, very real response to a human being as greater than another tool for obscuring ourselves: religion. Even the sweetest music, and ‘Slow Disco’ surely qualifies as that, can’t save her from the “slow dance to death” - a line a pitched-down vocal repeats as the song ends. Album Rating: 4.0Interesting, I didn't know John Congleton worked on this. Johnny pops up again, presumably the same entity as ‘Prince Johnny’ from St. Vincent and maybe even the John in the title track to Marry Me, but now he’s living on the street, the relationship strained in his mind by her fame. I love the way you.. use.. words. That was my fault, apologies. The two share a fascination with power in its myriad forms, be they social, sexual, emotional, or financial; Annie Clark was reading Foucault back when she was writing her debut album, 2007’s Marry Me. It’s an album detailing the mess of identity politics and power structures, and yet it hits serious cohesive highs. Album Rating: 4.5Another review, another stoner rock album. For real. And yea, incredible album. On the title track, Clark conflates sexuality, need, violence and control into a tight ball of beguiling robot rock. Nice work, Greg! Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for St. Vincent - St. Vincent on AllMusic - 2014 - Annie Clark began recording St. Vincent almost… “When the war started new / In our bed in our room / I come for you / Come for me too,” she calls, over scorched guitar, neon synths and retro electronic percussion. As well as the unparalleled joy of keeping the publication alive, you'll receive benefits including exclusive editorial, podcasts, and specially-commissioned music by some of our favourite artists. And none of it fits, in part, because she has seemingly lost so much. In Clark’s intertextual world, every version of power intersects, a messy reality in which we each struggle to compose an identity. Regret and Psychopath could've been better, though. Her self-titled fourth LP seeks to continue this upward momentum, and she has savvily turned to major label imprint Loma Vista to help get more ears on it. Album Rating: 3.0Will jam this soon I got to. Still she loves, and hurts, and laughs, and cries. By “Severed Crossed Fingers”, someone has found her, and it makes her realize she will never be alone. St. Vincent - St. Vincent review: A challenging art pop album that convincingly balances the beautiful with the ugly, and ultimately stays human despite its futuristic leanings. If you love what we do, you can help tQ to continue bringing you the best in cultural criticism and new music by joining one of our subscription tiers. And what isn’t? The stunning, string-laden ‘Slow Disco’ is a tear-jerking elegy for the end of the night, and the best song on the album. Support tQ's work by becoming a subscriber and enjoy the benefits of bonus essays, podcasts and exclusively-commissioned new music. Good review. The aesthetic of the album, crunchier, fuzzier, more jagged and dangerous, is a tool to further veil the feelings, and on “Birth in Reverse”, it can be viewed as a deliberate distraction. Album Rating: 4.5Wish I could write as good as you when it comes to pop music. Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z. Should Saturday Night Live Replace This Actor as Joe Biden? Album Rating: 4.5Thanks guys... and yeah, the summary is wordy. Perhaps another Foucault quote stuck out when producing new album MASSEDUCTION: “From the idea that the self is not given to us, I think there is only one practical consequence: we have to create ourselves as a work of art.”. You remember how powerfully and beautifully she can sing during this track, and yet you also realize why she keeps this hidden most of the time. That sounds positive enough, but she continuously returns to a fear of what could tear even that apart, and winds up looking to some unidentified authority figure to provide clarity: “Come on sir, just give me the answer / Come on sir, now I need an answer.”, There are escapes from the typical power structures, most notably drinking, pills, and sex - but even these fail. “Do not ask who I am and do not ask me to remain the same.” Considering the rate at which her music has evolved, and her recent refusal to be boxed in by stupid questions, it would seem reasonable to credit those words to St. Vincent. Artwork by Virginia McCarthy (Buy prints + more! St. Vincent is the only other female to have won in this category. The girls aren’t only dancing in cages, they’re playing air guitar, their agency removed in multiple frames. In a video “announcement,” she approaches a garden of pink microphones and, rather than actually announce anything, coughs uncontrollably. St. Vincent Nina Kraviz The Russian techno DJ Nina Kraviz enlists Jlin, Buttechno, Midland, and others in remixing all 13 songs from Annie Clark’s 2017 album, to sometimes scattershot effect. To find out more, click here. Album Rating: 4.5summary seems unnecessarily wordy, but the review is good, "Another review, another stoner rock album." Still her “heart is pulled from her chest,” and still it “changed the words that I knew best.”. But that line comes from French philosopher Michel Foucault. And though the lyrics seem to come from a fed-up point of frustration, the key to St. Vincent is that she overcomes the futility of relating to others. Her last solo album, 2011’s Strange Mercy, was heralded album of the year by numerous publications, including this one, and yet at Coachella 2012, she was still stuck inside the Gobi tent playing at the same time as Jeff Mangum and The Shins, leaving one to scratch one’s head and wonder what a lady has to do to be a big deal to more people. 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Waiting for the official release of the album ihihihihihi, can't wait. praise jimmy STAFF (5)Annie Clark wants all of your mind......jtswope (3.5)St. Vincent’s self-titled fourth album seethes with abnormalities and stands as Annie Cl...WizardZombie (4.5)St. Vincent is on top form yet again for her 4th album...Brady Hayes (4.5)Humiliated by age. More importantly, Clark has risen to the challenge on all levels, crafting a compact and focused album with more pop sensibility than any of her previous releases. ), “Severed Crossed Fingers”, the album’s crescendo and most affecting number, contains the line “The truth is ugly, and I feel ugly, too,” sung in a clarity that is rare for a St. Vincent album.