Customer Reviews

Strange Mercy

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I will freely admit that I hadn't heard of St. Vincent until the Onion's A.V. Club told me that her 2009 album, Actor, was good and that I should listen to it.
Since learning of and thoroughly enjoying that album, I have been eagerly awaiting Annie Clark's latest release, Strange Mercy.

At first listen, the lead single, "Cruel", struck me as a bit mainstream compared to the majority of the previous album, but after listening to it in the framework of the rest of the album as a whole, I began to understand that this was not the case at all.
Strange Mercy, while less dense and involved than Actor, has a wonderfully experimental quality to a lot of it, with Clark placing herself in situations we have yet to see, which is always exciting and refreshing.
While this album is the most sparse we've seen from her (I don't consider her first album, Marry Me, sparse so much as dull), the choice to not go with typical instrumentation really pays off and creates a unique sound.

One aspect of St. Vincent's music has not changed on Strange Mercy and that is her guitar which still sounds like it's made of wasps and Stylophones. It has the ability to shock its way through the dreamy vocals and syrupy keyboards and keep the attention of the listener.
The combination of the warm, soporific elements and the bracing, unflinching electricity is compelling.
Add on top of that Clark's malleable and incredibly expressive vocal style which can be as piping and sharp as Bjork (as on the album's trance-inducing opener, "Chloe In The Afternoon") and as smooth and smoky as Fiona Apple (as on the quiet, bitter "Champagne Year").
Her voice allows us to feel the fear during the cacophonic climax of "Northern Lights", which features Clark shrilling repeatedly: "I saw the Northern Lights/Convinced it was the end of time".
"Neutered Fruit" is equal parts lighthearted, meandering stroll through a sunny garden and smoldering unrequited-love ballade ("Did you ever really stare at me/the way that I stared at you?"), again due to the versatility of her vocals.
The title track tells the sad tale of a mother and wife whose husband is in jail, the mood of the lyrics reinforced by some synths pulled straight from a rainy afternoon in the 80's.
The end of "Surgeon" also borrows a bit from the 80's...the funky part of the 80's.

One of my favorite tracks is "Cheerleader", which stands out with its smug yet confessional verses and angry, declarative chorus; the former is made up of a litany of high school-caliber sins set to the subtle strums of tentative guitars ("I've had good times with some bad guys/I've told whole lies with a half smile") while the latter is accompanied, first by a huge, buzzing drumbeat, then the full voice of both Clark and the rest of the band ("I don't want to be a cheerleader no more/I don't want to be a dirt eater no more").

The album isn't as epic or cinematic or welcoming as Actor; it takes more effort to completely enjoy, but, for some at least, it'll be worth it.
Personally, I enjoy Actor more than Strange Mercy, but the depth and innovation of the music here will surprise the listener.
I'm finding that this album goes right along with the image I've constructed in my mind of Annie Clark/St. Vincent through her music: she's timid, yet forceful, both unsure of herself and overconfident, one quality usually overcompensating for the other. Her music paints her as that one girl you know who is smart, funny, attractive and yet doesn't seem to know it and can never really find happiness because of her second guessing. Hopefully, this is not the case with the real Annie Clark, but, for the purpose of her art, I think the more problems she has, the better and more interesting the journey she brings us on will be.

For me, this might go down as the most delightful surprise of 2011. It's not that I had low expectations for this, St. Vincent's third LP. It's simply that I didn't have any expectations at all. I'm not unfamiliar with Annie Clark's body of work, I, along with many others got a hold of, and thoroughly enjoyed her 2009 sophomore effort Actor. It wasn't album of the year or anything, but it was definitely one of the more colorful outputs of that year. Wonderful art pop overflowing with lush instrumentation and overtly melodic sensibilities.

As eccentric and simply delightful as Actor is, Clark did lose something through all the orchestration and inventiveness of the music that she had a firm grip on on her debut LPMarry Me, that being ...herself. Throughout her debut she was consistently expressing herself, every instrument and note was there only to emphasize the duality, conflict and pure raw emotion within her own self. The music was very self contained and felt very much a part of Miss Clark, as if she were cutting herself open and handing you her body parts on demand. Whereas Actor finds her exploring texture and sounds for our ecstatic enjoyment (and wedid enjoy it), in retrospect it feels now like an album she simply needed to get out of the way in order to make Strange Mercy.

On this, Clark's third LP as St. Vincent, we find her with nigh perfect control over her music, now with an arsenal of tricks up her sleeve, every single track has an element of surprise. Although the instrumentation might not be as flashy as that on Actor, it feels more controlled, everything that needs to be there is there. That's not to say that the album has a minimalist approach, hardly. This is still very, very layered music with which one reaps the true rewards after multiple listens. It's simply to say that Clark has the confidence now to stand on her own two feet, and scream and shout and cry without the need for an orchestra backing her up, it's really the greatest of compliments and a testament to her ability as an artist.

The sound of this album is so full and pleasing to the ears, it simply feels nice to listen to, even more-so than Actor, which as it stands is an album noted for it's textures. The tone of the guitar is so clumpy and ugly and obnoxious, and juxtaposes the gentle atmosphere of the background synths perfectly. There's always a good number of high-end and low-end sounds going on at any one time, making for a very satisfying listening experience. And if there's anyone who knows how to write an original hook, it's most definitely Annie Clark. Cruel, the album's first lead single has a hook that will make your ears salivate at it's pure delightful infectiousness, and it's interesting fretwork and layering assure rewarding repeat listens.

What leaves me in such adoration for this album isn't simply the depth, or the innovation (although this album would be nothing without them). It reminded me of why I listen to music so often in the first place, it's fun. Buckets of fun. This album is the `wild Friday night out' of recent releases, just try to slow your pulse during the synth solo in Surgeon, or the floor-stomping chorus of Cheerleader. With Strange Mercy Clark has proved to be an innovative artist with a bright future ahead of her, worth our full attention, and pity on anyone who isn't watching.

[...]

St. Vincent - Strange Mercy (2011)

I try not to judge records based on what I want them to be; instead, I always try to accept them for what they are. Having said that, STRANGE MERCY, the third album by St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark), sounds a lot like her previous one, ACTOR. STRANGE MERCY is essentially ACTOR part II, just not quite as good. The same basic (and highly unique) sound is evident on her latest offering: her angelic overdubbed choirs, the electric carnival music, the surreal, Wizard of Oz atmosphere, her evocative tales that feel so personal...STRANGE MERCY can't help but suffer to a certain extent from maintaining this same basic approach although I don't think that's why it doesn't exactly measure up to its predecessor.

Some critics insist that artists need to take their music in different directions with each new album, but that's not fair. I say musicians don't need to reinvent the freakin' wheel every time out. When an artist is doing great work, there's absolutely nothing wrong with continuing to create and explore (and hopefully improve on) that same style. But I would have to say that some of the songs on STRANGE MERCY don't sound as inspired as most of the tracks on ACTOR. And I just can't get around the fact that it's not as fresh and inventive the way ACTOR sounded when it was first released.

Aside from these somewhat nit-picky criticisms, what we have here is another wonderful collection of St. Vincent songs. Nevertheless, despite my policy of always trying to accept albums on their own terms, I still wish Annie had pushed the music further on this one. It starts off very strong with "Chloe in the Afternoon", an unusual song that had me believing Annie DID get stranger, that she was in fact taking it up a notch. Unfortunately, that's not really the case on the rest of the album, for the most part at least. Take a song like "Surgeon", a lackadaisical, typically lovely offering from St. Vincent. Towards the end it really begins to take off with some pumped-up bass synths and proggy synth squeals, only to end abruptly. By the latter half of the album, some of the songs lack energy and even seem a bit sluggish...This is not necessarily a bad thing; one could easily see it as just a different approach, a different feel, one that was intentionally created and a very enjoyable one at that. So maybe it's the songs themselves that just aren't as impressive...but I can't claim that with much conviction either because they're really very good. The only one I'm really not crazy about is "Cheerleader", one of the most well-liked tracks based on what I've read. Personally, I find the chorus to be annoying - "I, I, I, I don't want to be a cheerleader no more". I always think, "Well don't be one then! No one's forcing you to!" But that's my own personal hang-up and not necessarily a good reason for anyone else to dislike it. One could argue that the subject of the song is struggling with peer pressure, but I still don't sympathize...

The bottom line is this: I like ACTOR more than I like STRANGE MERCY - and I like both of them more than I like the excellent but ultimately less distinctive and refined debut). However, anyone who loves ACTOR will surely find a lot to love about STRANGE MERCY too. It's just not quite as impressive.

Recommended

You know how if you put a goldfish in a tank that's way too big for it, it will grow bigger and bigger until it fits its surroundings? That's what I feel Annie Clark does on this album. The production value is obviously more than her previous two albums, and while some artists might drown in that, Clark rises to the opportunity and composes some of the most original, most engaging pieces of music I've heard in a very long time. She has unequivocal musical prowess and knowledge, and you can hear bits and pieces of influence from both artists of yesterday and her contemporaries. This album traverses across trip hop and shoegaze and straight up indie rock, and yet creates a sound as unique and original as the artist herself.

After multiple listens, "Northern Lights" has become my favorite song on the album, because I'm a sucker for the build-up and then the wonderful, shredding release... though, they're all so masterfully crafted.

I was introduced to St. Vincent in 2009 when she was touring behind "Actor" and was opening for Andrew Bird. Watching her live, she electrified me. I knew then that a.) her music was exactly the sort of modern music that I needed to be listening to, as it combined everything that I already loved with soaring sweet female vocals and brilliant, heart-wrenching, but relatable lyrics and b.) St. Vincent was a band to follow. I'm glad I've kept up, and I'm excited to see her perform this work of art in real time, the way she FEELS it at the beginning of November in DC.

It's true that there are similarities between "Strange Mercy," "Actor," and "Marry Me." Clark certainly has an artistic identity and style that's becomming recognizable as she produces more work and becomes more popular. However, I'm of the personal belief that watching an artist better herself from album to album is one of the most, exciting and satisfying parts of loving an artist, and I - for one - cannot wait to see where she goes from here.

I've listened to this album several times, and it is very solid. But perhaps my favorite part is when the album is taken apart and played with other artists on random, I almost always finding myself looking back to see just who is singing that awesome song. Gotta love St. Vincent's maturation since the last album. Strange Mercy keeps happily surprising me when one of the songs pops up on random.

Bravo.

3rd album from band led by New York musician Annie Clark (Polyphonic Spree, Glenn Branca's
100 Guitar Orchestra), with her fairy tale, little-girl-fragile vocals that quickly evolve into an
earthy, cinematic sensuality. One moment they're angelic, sweet & innocent; the next, they're
erotic, evocative, uncompromisingly in-your-face and dripping with life experience. St. Vincent
lays this vocal diversity over a bed of music that writhes & clonks with odd splatters of beauty,
integrated into an often-distorted, electronic guitar no-wave garden of semi-abrasive surprises.
All this is gathered into a cohesive, if somewhat erratic, celestial shimmer of innovative indie rock
that somehow manages to hang on to enough of the melodic hook to pull you in. Overall, it's
strangely satisfying. Contributions from members of Beck's band, Midlake. Sometimes recalls
Cat Power, Blonde Redhead, Frida Hyvonen, Grizzly Bear, Regina Spektor, P.J. Harvey, Julie
Doiron, Nico.

St. Vincent's 2011 album reminds one a lot of "Wounded Rhymes" by Lykke Li, also from 2011. The two records share a lot in common, despite being thematically quite different. Where Li's album focused on remorse and the dark, St. Vincent's attempt is more light-hearted and more unapologetically bursting with estrogen. Whether or not this translates to a more rewarding listening experience is something only time will answer, but the similarities don't end there. Both the artists started off as mere whispers on the blogosphere before becoming huge independent artists with a very devoted fanbase. However, while Li's musical repertoire is more `user-friendly' for the lack of a better term, St. Vincent's is more experimental and definitely needs listener investment to reap any rewards.

The artists' second album, "Actor" was a fine piece of work, straddling both the old and new worlds of independent music in a revolutionary fashion, much like Sufjan Stevens did with "Illinoise" a few years prior to that. I still consider it a highly experimental record, with some tracks revealing themselves only after weeks and months of play; with very few that instantly grabbed ones attention. A singalong album it was not. Despite that, "Actor" went on to become one of the years most critically acclaimed releases - and some time down the line, it seems to hold up pretty well; indeed I discovered new layering on some of the tracks that I'd completely missed the first time around. In terms of unraveling, it does a fine job.

"Strange Mercy", the artists' third venture on record, opens on exactly the right note with "Chloe in the Afternoon". As a concept record, this one is pretty straightforward, as it embraces sensuality and all of its myriad possibilities - from furtive random encounters to more risqué episodes - in a manner that Annie Clark hasn't ever hinted at in her previous work. The opener is graphic and sets the tone for the rest of the record. Consider this line from "Surgeon", where St. Vincent reveals "I spent the summer on my back". For those who term St. Vincent's music as `low fi acoustic rock', that is in part true. There are moments on this album that are dark, toned down, and silent; while others, like a moment on `Northern Lights' leap straight through the speakers with an unbridled momentum. Its on tracks like these where Annie Clark truly gets to shine; and this record is testament to the fact that good songwriting is sometimes paired with some really good melodies as well (and of course, no one in the present day music world does that better than Joanna Newsom).

Mention must also be made of Annie Clark's almost ethereal vocals that do the hazy, otherworld thing as well as Beach House or even Mazzy Star. Someone who listened to this record as I initially began noting down its major points to review, said that it sounds like two or three minutes of Clark's fairy vocals over lush instrumentation, followed by a track that bordered on inspired rock music but actually isn't; with this formula being adapted through the running length of the entire album. This is in part true, as well, but I consider this a plus as it gives the listener a good chance to slow down after an uptempo track, and honestly, Clarks vocals are so beguiling, I wouldn't really mind even a wholly acoustic album from her.

On a side note, listeners will note that this album is released by 4AD. Hopefully there are some of us who still remember that this is the inspired label to whom Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins, and the incomparable Lisa Gerrard owe the birth of their careers to. Any label that could release "The Mirror Pool" by Lisa Gerrard has some pretty good street cred. The label involvement seems to spill through to the record cover, it's a cover only 4AD could have endorsed, and rightfully so.

"Strange Mercy" undoubtedly is one of the best releases of 2011, and its contents sometime defy description. Lets just say that if you, at one point, enjoyed "Veckatimest" by Grizzly Bear, or "Merriweather Post Pavilion" by Animal Collective, this is the kind of record you should be listening to. And that is fine praise for Ms. Clark indeed.

Four and a half stars. An indispensable addition to your music collection.

Tracklisting:

1. "Chloe in the Afternoon" 2:55
2. "Cruel" 3:35
3. "Cheerleader" 3:28
4. "Surgeon" 4:25
5. "Northern Lights" 3:33
6. "Strange Mercy" 4:28
7. "Neutered Fruit" 4:13
8. "Champagne Year" 3:28
9. "Dilettante" 4:03
10. "Hysterical Strength" 3:16
11. "Year of the Tiger" 3:28

This new CD is more "processed" and "electronicized" than her last CD, but it grows on you and gets better as it goes. If you like, it's a counter-distinction to Kate Bush's latest cavernous-sounding CD.

This is one of my top 5 favorite albums of 2011, so of course, I had to buy the vinyl. Sounds great, crisp, clean, & has a free mp3 download. I think it is her best work to date & everyone should give it a listen, especially if you like to be on the up & up of new music.

(Taken from my blog at http://ryanestabrooks.com)

-sigh- Annie Clark, why do you have to be so damn adorable? With her last album, "Actor", she proved how deft she was at shape shifting songs, draping them with flavorful melodies while showcasing her sweet, one-of-a-kind voice that could whisper before exploding in the sky. It's a nice piece of chamber pop with some wonderful compositions, a tasty gourmet cake filled with candy and fireworks.

So I wasn't exactly sure where she would go from there. Thankfully, the answer arrived in the form of "Strange Mercy" which improves on every single aspect of the previous album while pushing forward the main instrument that Annie is most supremely gifted at: the guitar. She has shown quite a lot of skill on the axe in her previous albums but here, she throws down the gauntlet. Guitar lines curve, wind up, take off, and ultimately, shred like rice paper. She has carved out her own little space with her distinct style for this instrument and has now taken a place on my list of favorite guitarists.

But the melodies themselves seem more thought out, more composed. Things coalesce into each other like chapters in a book, taking their natural pathways without ever feeling forced, and yet, are continuously unpredictable. It's EXCITING music! It makes you stand up and take notice. Her songwriting has never been better and after listing to this album, I can't imagine how she will ever be able to top this. But I can't wait to see her try.