St. Vincent “Strange Mercy”
For fans of: Sufjan Stevens, Feist, Beirut
While Annie Clark, or St. Vincent as her stage name goes, has been making music successfully for years now, she still mostly remains an undiscovered gem in the music world. Our bet is that you’ve never heard of her (props if you have), but her third and most complex album, “Strange Mercy,” is now out and we think it’s worth listening to. Clark’s eclectic style is difficult to explain, but her two most powerful talents are her stunningly beautiful voice and her impressive knack for shredding a guitar. Combining those two elements, Clark’s songs are often one part lilting smooth lyrics and one part anxiety-ridden guitar riffs. The result is a sound that is somewhere between chamber pop and psych-rock, all topped off with a glorious soft voice and haunting lyrics.
If you like your indie pop to be a little more on the mainstream, formulaic side, you might not be a fan of St. Vincent. But if you are a fan of similarly eclectic artists like Sufjan Stevens (whom she toured with) or Beirut, the tunes of St. Vincent’s latest album might suit you just fine. Complex layers of sounds are present on nearly every song, and the spotlight is shared almost equally by Clark’s voice and her serious guitar skills. It’s the juxtaposition of the two that makes St. Vincent stand out from the pack of indie songstresses as a musical talent instead of just a pretty voice. Check out the first video from the new album (for the song “Cruel”) to get a taste of what the new album has in store.
