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Audio
11 plays#7. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy“I I I I I Don’t Want to Be a Cheerleader No More”
_Annie Clarke has struck this perfect balance between ladylike and completely badass. She is this stunning, delicate, feminine specimen whose guitar skills are likely the envy of anyone whose ever seen her play one. It is women like Annie Clark that make Lana Del Rey look bad. Furthermore, she’s not afraid to speak her mind. I have been a St. Vincent fan since Actor came out in 2009, and I was eager to hear what Annie was going to come up with next. “Surgeon” was released while I was travelling in Europe this summer and I specifically remember sitting on the stone steps, stealing a wifi signal, and then lying down to listen to the track as soon as I could. I was impressed from that first listen, and the rest of Strange Mercy has been no disappointment._St. Vincent has always had a unique and engaging sound, but Strange Mercy really took that sound to new heights. There are so many weird but catchy riffs, and lyrical melodies on this album, intertwined gracefully with very alternative effects and edgy hard-hitting lines. For example,_I spent the summer on my back -Surgeon_I make a living telling people what they want to hearIt’s not a killing, but it’s enough to keep the cobwebs clear -Champagne YearBodies, can’t you see what everybody want’s from you?If you could wan’t that too, then you’d be happy -Cruel_Oh America can I owe you one - Year of the Tiger_No kisses no real names no kisses no real namesWho will hear hear your word ring ring phone send you homefind my heels heal my hurt white, white shirt back to work -Chloe in the Afternoon_That combination of catchy and enticing with weird and unexpected make for a dynamic and delightful album. Over and over I play it and over and over I fall in love with the entity that is St. Vincent._I find Strange Mercy to be an empowering album. It spoke to me on so many levels. It’s an album full of #whitegirlproblems , but these are actually thoughtful, profound, and powerful ones. Annie exposes these harsh realities in the most dreamy way. Again, that contrast, soft and hard, delicate and tough._In an interview on Q with Jian Gomeshi, Annie talked about writing this album in a unique kind of isolation. Staying in a hotel in a city where she knew no one, she would spend 12 hours a day in a silent studio, writing what was to become Strange Mercy. Left alone with her thoughts she wrote songs like “Surgeon” where she begs “best finest surgeon, come cut me open.” She went on to say in her Q interview that perhaps we all have that one fatal flaw we’d love for a surgeon to come and cut out of us. I think you can really hear how much solitude and reflection and hard work went into this album and it impresses with every listen. It isn’t predictable, but it sticks. Annie sings of The Year of the Tiger, but I think I will remember this year as the year of St. Vincent._-M -
Video
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NotesSt. Vincent - “Cruel”
Strange Mercy
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Annie Clark knows how to play her guitar. And granted, that shouldn’t be a huge accomplishment for a musician that’s featured on the cover of Spin, but seriously how many women in music are actually playing their own instruments these days? And how many of those play them well? Not enough, sadly. Annie Clark of St. Vincent though is an exceptional exception to the rule—and my new heroine.
Strange Mercy just came out on Tuesday. I’ve been creeping along all summer, watching the preview videos, listening to “Surgeon” like an addict, and watching “Cruel” more times than youtube should allow. And high expectations were, thankfully, not too high. The album is everything I hoped it would be.
Catchy—but not TOO catchy—choruses, incredible guitar playing, and that strange and whimsical voice are even more enjoyable on Strange Mercy than I found them on Actor. L doesn’t agree with me, but maybe she’ll come around. In the meantime…
They took you, and they left you
How could they be so casually cruel?
-M
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