Review Summary: Were all mad here.
There is no direct connection, no lyrical reference, no intentional design. Yet, all I can think about when I listen to St. Vincent’s newest album, Strange Mercy, is Alice’s strange descent into the weirdness of Wonderland — a world where the sounds of both beauty and madness mingle and meld. It is within this dichotomous relationship that Annie Clark, the mastermind behind the band, is most at home. She twists genres and styles together in ways that will both baffle and enthrall listeners. Anytime it seems that you have a grasp on what she is doing or where she is headed, her music doubles back and leaves your expectations in the dust. Amidst this aural journey, faults are few and far between, and never do they detract from the concentrated artistry of Clark’s creation.
The first song on the album, “Chloe in the Afternoon,” opens with soaring synths and Annie Clark’s angelic vocals. It has a beautiful, otherworldly quality that is cut short not fifteen seconds in by a buzz-saw guitar riff and scattered snare beats. Most of the songs on Strange Mercy start out this way: harmonies intertwined in a beautiful synthesis, followed by a rapid decent into madness. Whether it be fuzzed-out guitar solos, manic drum beats, madcap synths, or even Annie Clark’s outrageous lyrics, Strange Mercy is never what you expect it to be. It’s not quite a rock album, but there is a good amount of intricate guitar work. It’s not a dance album — the beats are too sparse to dance to, but they are there. And anyone looking for something relaxing will certainly be turned off by the oddness of the whole affair.
So why listen to something that fails at everything it tries to do? What merit does an album have if it doesn’t even seem sure of its own identity? The simple answer is that St. Vincent is not attempting to satisfy anyone’s expectations. Annie Clark is making the music she wants to, and the result is one of the most strikingly original records of the year. The unpredictable shifts in mood and style are what make Strange Mercy so appealing.
Now, to be fair, the album is not perfect. The synths and drums used throughout the album rarely differentiate from song to song, giving the album a slight sense of same-ness, and the wacky arrangements won’t please everyone. But for those looking for something a bit different, St Vincent’s Strange Mercy is complex, unconventional, and utterly captivating.
