Two years ago, Annie Clark’s recorded debut as St. Vincent, ‘Marry Me’, gave immediate notice that a
dizzying new talent had emerged from the flatlands of Texas. Critics from all points of the cultural
compass—from Pitchfork to Spin to the New York Times Magazine—were entranced by the album’s
precocious arrangements and elegant lyrics, and the steadily growing crowds at St. Vincent’s live shows
were astonished by Clark’s gargantuan musical chops and her magnetic stage presence. No small
number of St. Vincent fans took the title of ‘Marry Me’ literally, had their hearts duly broken, and
wouldn’t have had it any other way. The record was heralded as a remarkably successful entrance and
Clark capped a year of international touring by winning the Plug Awards’ Female Artist of the Year.
’Actor’, St. Vincent’s beguiling, sophisticated new record, takes that debut’s ambition as its starting
point and never looks back. The arrangements are more masterful, the songwriting grander, the
performances ever more confident and inspired. Clark developed an idiosyncratic writing process for
‘Actor’, immersing herself in some of her favorite films—Badlands, Pierrot le Fou, The Wizard of Oz,
Stardust Memories, Sleeping Beauty—and beginning each song as a secret film score, then slowly giving
it independence as its structure and lyrics came fully into focus. The resulting eleven tracks are as
cinematic as pop songs can be, but the movie is a private one, revealing its storyline in hushed, cunning
couplets and cascades of scathing guitar.
Here is a record to listen to with your eyes closed. Melodies are transposed and inverted. The fantasy of
Disney is juxtaposed with the sweep of Morricone, David Mamet’s unsettling dramatic form and the
alienation of Philip Roth. Igor Stravinsky scores Roger Corman’s horror flicks.
‘The Strangers’ starts off as a deceptively dulcet elegy for a lost love, then suddenly capsizes under a
flood of distortion. ‘Actor Out Of Work’ is a devastating sonic kiss-off, complete with slyly poisonous
lyrics and steamrolling guitars. The strings and woodwinds at the opening of ‘Marrow’ might be
escorting Dorothy to the Emerald City, or straight into the flying monkeys’ clutches. The crackerjack
band, including supporting turns by McKenzie Smith and Paul Alexander of Midlake, has the crunch of a
tank and the grace of a chamber ensemble.
If ‘Marry Me’ served as the world’s introduction to Annie Clark, ‘Actor’ may prove to be her coronation.
As the terrifyingly beautiful movie inside Clark’s head flickers across the screen, we can all feel privileged
to be in the seats.
I'm on my toes. Hidin' shotgun shells up my anus. If I were Dick Cheney my homey'd be dead and faceless. Don't mess around with bird shot, s**t wont stop a PCP high comin' to steal your change jar and laptop.
wanted to share our video, it won our director Most Promising New England Filmmaker 2009 @ The Boston Underground Film Festival: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3hpHiaoDGw
you're a mural in my closet http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs090.snc1/5097_515913743234_67300363_30715028_673830_n.jpg now can you please please come to charlotte/asheville/carrboro some day?
Thanks for the add!!! I saw your performance on Pitchfork and had my mind blown. I'm not as hip as I used to be so I was disappointed that I hadn't heard of you sooner, because your music is such that it inspires someone like me to write better music(and I haven't thought that about any artists in a while). So kudos, you are a beautiful woman with beautiful arrangements and you got a right hand that Kevin Shields would kill for!
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