Learning from a Saint

Annie Clark is a lot of things to people, I'm no different.  I have been following her music since her days with the Polyphonic Spree and even after her departure she turns with heads with everything she has done.  Her solo albums are amazing and powerful of artful Rock and Roll, to music that gets at the root of being a solo artist.  She is ever-changing and once you think she is going one way down a certain path, she gets on a different off ramp and tries something different.  She's played with the surviving members of Nirvana and done a tribute to Classical composer Philip Glass.  All this time she has defied gender and sexuality and the norms of music.  She is in the same camp as Kate Bush and David Bowie.  Even her music videos scratch your head.

Annie Clark (St. Vincent) is amazing.  Every year I hear that she is working on some type of music I get excited on what will come out and what the music will be. When she put out MAssedUctIOn she made everyone including myself make our heads spin.  MAssedUctIOn was loved by all.  It was reviewed and the world knew about St. Vincent more and more.  All-Music guide gave the album a well deserved five starts.  All those accolades she still did not bend or break and conform.  She kept going like she always has.

Doing research for this review I found out that she has a signature guitar by Ernie Ball and that is pretty awesome.  Name me one female artist who has a signature guitar named after them. The reason I discuss that is because her guitar playing on MAssedUctIOn is amazing.  She has always been a decent guitar player, but this album really shows her chops.  Her vocals are in top form to match that blistering guitar and keyboard work.

After listening to the album I realize that this might not be everybody's cup of tea, but then again she is not a cookie cutter artist who follows what they should do or say or even play.  The album had a few singles on the album and each is different then the other.  There is no one way to describe her in those singles let alone the album as a whole.  She jabs at the pharmaceutical industry with a great song called "Pills" and basically makes us addicted to the pills that she is discussing in the lyrics.  It's so catchy that when you hear it after the song twice your just as addicted as she is.  On the album she has a few guest artists like Jenny Lewis and Kamasi Washington who are not to shabby on their own. The video below has Kamasi Washington playing a solo and it fits so well with the song.  It's not just in there for show.

New York isn't New York
Without you, love
So far in a few blocks
To be so low

And if I call you from First Avenue
Where you're the only motherfucker in the city
Who can handle me

New love
Wasn't true love
Back to you, love
So much for a home run
With some blue bloods

If I last-strawed you on 8th Avenue
Where you're the only motherfucker in the city
Who can stand me

I have lost a hero
I have lost a friend
But for you, darling
I'd do it all again
I have lost a hero
I have lost a friend
But for you, darling
I'd do it all again

New York isn't New York
Without you, love
Too few of our old crew
Left on Astor

So if I trade our 'hood
For some Hollywood
Where you're the…

Lastly, what I love about her and her music is that a year after this album came out she made a stripped down version of MAssedUctIOn that if any other artist made it this it would be one of their best work. St. Vincent made an album of more engaging work that were more stripped down and even better that are more reverent and really showcases the voice of St. Vincent and the less shiny really brings out what I love.

MAssedUctIOn sketches of chaos with stunning clarity. It's the work of an always savvy artist at her wittiest and saddest.(AMC)