St. VincentStrange Mercy
4AD/Remote Control

Strange Mercy is the third album by Texan songstress Annie Clark, aka St. Vincent. Long gone are the days of her being a backing musician for Sufjan Stevens or one of the ten thousand members of the Polyphonic Spree as Strange Mercy continues on from the commercial success that was her second album, Actor, and thrusts her music down a further exploratory path that also happens to be irresistibly catchy and well written. All of which makes Strange Mercy one of the most essential albums to own this year.

Opening with Chloe in the Aftertnoon the early vocal swellings sound dangerously close to the likes of the Dirty Projectors/Bjork’s more delicate work then a frantic Steven Drozd like guitar line and takes over and turns the track into a whole new breed. In a lyrically deep track the focus is more on a darker bent, detailing female sexual anxiety amongst monogamous relationships in a confusing battle between Clark’s heavenly vocals and the words from her mouth which wind up being a brilliant opener and no doubt a track that will sit favourably in a live set.

Cruel seems to be more of a dancier up beat number with elements of Clark’s work in the Polyphonic Spree popping up in the songs main guitar hook. An interesting detuned fuzzed guitar line pops in the middle section of the track with the song seeming to take nods at various artists and genres throughout in an interesting cut. Following on, Cheerleader is probably the most conventional and pop orientated songs on the album. Its dotted note drum driven chorus is irresistibly catchy. While confronting lyrics such as ‘I have seen miracles with no clothes on’ control the verses. It is one of the highlights on the album and a track that will be visited time and time again.

While never releasing singles in the traditional sense, Surgeon is the closest offering to a single and is one of the most catchiest moments on the record. The introduction begins as an 80’s take on life in space with synths and detuned choir like vocals paving the way for a bass/funk driven verse line. The chorus hits with the tag line of ‘Best Kind of Surgeon, Come cut me open’ over an impatient guitar line that transforms throughout the song. Ending with a synth line that seems to be a distant cousin of the synth solo in Daft Punk’s Digital Love. Surgeon is a definite highlight on the album and through its discorded structure and eclectic instrument lines under Clark’s musings of pain and depreciation it is a track that will continue to warrant thought and listens.

Northern Lights seems to be a moment on the album where Clark vents through her guitar and vent she does with the focus being of a jam context as heavy bass guitar pluckings drive the song while the other weirder bit pieces try to distract you from your journey. Title track, Strange Mercy seems to pull the pace back from Northern Lights in an effort more orientated around story telling of Clark’s continual struggles with love. An almost chillwave synth solo in the middle tears the song in to a different directions as Clark picks up with vocals over no structure and almost noise. It’s a track that can be lyrically compared to tUnE-yArDs Doorstep as Clark touches on a number of the elements Meril Garbus did on her track except Clark relates it back to her own experiences.

Neutered Fruit is a moment where effects are more prominent on the music and Clark’s vocals with a sample of her voice being dramatically altered and manipulated to make a choir like melody that drops in randomly through the track as Clark’s main vocal line “Did you ever really stare at me, Like I stared at you” details lust and at points deception as the track continues through the motions. Following on Champagne Year is more delicate in its delivery with a much greater emphasis on the vocal melody for the first half until arpeggiated and reverb soaked guitar lines crawl up through each headphone for attention until returning to a vocal outré to an almost abrupt halt.

Dilettante takes the album back to the beginning recalling the drum drive of Cheerleader and Dirty Projectors wail of opener Chloe in the Afternoon. While Hysterical Strength is probably the most upbeat number with an almost dance/elctro feel too it. Closing the album, Year of the Tiger begins as an almost outtake from the Polyphonic Spree but precisely at the half way point changes into a new beast with fuzzed out synths taking over the acoustic guitar from the beginning. As Clark ascends into her higher vocal regions for the final choirs the song ends. It is a strong song to end the album on despite not having more of the grander elements of tracks before.

Strange Mercy is Clark’s strongest work to date, It is in some ways a departure to her earlier work with the vocals having an equal part and emphasis as opposed to 2009’s Actor, which the over use of instruments clouded each song’s message. While the music sits on a more aggressive and attention grabbing plane than her first solo release Marry Me. Fans of her earlier work will still embrace this album with open charms, it is more of another chapter rather than a continuation but in the end is still apart of the overall story.

It is a captivating release that has surprises scattered throughout. Elements of influence can also be seen in a number of tracks on the album from Clark’s previous endeavours to her constant comparisons to Kate Bush. But Strange Mercy is very much its own entity with a Beautiful Mind-like eccentric tones and general freakiness to it. It has a lot of potential to be a spectacle in the live arena and with any luck that wait won’t be too long.

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