Kategorie: CD-Reviews | Genre: Artpop/Pop | Heft: Jahrgang 2014, eclipsed Nr. 159 / 4-2014 | VÖ-Jahr: 2014 | Wertung: 7/10 | Label: Caroline | Autor: SaS
After "Love This Giant", her somewhat unsuccessful excursion into the world of artificial art pop with ex-talking heads-maker David Byrne, Annie Clark alias St. Vincent now reappears with her fourth album. Although the Byrne experiment has left its mark, she is smart enough to make the most of the cooperation and use it for her own purposes. On the one hand, the new album follows on from its predecessor "Strange Mercy", but the ethereal is almost gone. Instead a constantly changing, extremely nervous sounding rhythm carpet dominates, over which Mrs. Clark spreads her extravagant ideas. At times this sounds extroverted like in the opener "Rattlesnake", at other times more introverted like in the rousingly melancholic "Prince Johnny". When the nags go through with her like in the hysterical "Huey Newton", one wishes for a little more calm and introspection. But when she shifts down a gear, it's the combination of merciless rhythm and fragile melody that makes this album so special.
Top track: Prince Johnny
