St Vincent by St Vincent album review

Anyone who is familiar with St Vincent will know her distinctive quirky sound. If you're not then basically she's an art rocker who loves to play scuzzy electric guitars whilst singing about all kinds of strange things in a peculiar way. Imagine if Matt Bellamy from Muse and Thom Yorke from Radiohead had a daughter that grew up listening to grunge music, that daughter would be St Vincent.

Her self titled album is her fourth one and it's a bit similar to her last record "Strange Mercy". However, "St Vincent" is a lot more accessible and it's easier to listen to than the last album. "Strange Mercy" took a few listens to understand because it was a rather dark album that exploded into some pretty crazy moments. This album is a bit more sensible sounding but it still feels totally experimental at the same time. There are moments where this record is totally bat shit crazy but then there are also moments where it's fun and almost pop like too.

Take for example "Digital Witness", it's sassy brass section and catchy hooks make it delightful for anyone to listen to. "Psychopathic" doesn't sound like it's song title at all and instead it's probably the most accessible song on the record thanks to it's upbeat feel. Talk about not judging a song by it's title eh? Album outro "Severed Crossed Fingers" is another one that's quite easy to listen to. It's a nice slow electro acoustic number.

There are some more unusual parts on the record though, don't think that this is the kind of album that you could listen to whilst lazing in your deck chair on a warm day. Opener "Rattlesnake" has chirpy rhythms with an unusually seductive delivery. After this, you've then got "Birth In Reverse" which is bizarre lyrically but it's still punchy like something out of an 80's musical. Later on, "Bring Me Your Loves" makes you jump with it's immediate robot-esque synths, this then goes into parts where all the instruments stop and it's just St Vincent's vocals. There's no doubting that this is a song that you can't help but pay attention to. "Regret" is a middle of the album song that plods along nicely.

"Huey Newton" also stands out. It's cool beat and futuristic synth riffs help drive it to it's satisfying fuzz guitar outro. "Every Tear Disapears" has a pulsating heart beat mixed with 8 bit sounds and "Prince Johnny" has soaring underlying instruments with passionate vocals. Plus, let's not forget "I prefer Your Love" which has an interesting religious feel to it.

In conclusion, this is a record that's experimental but it still manages to remain fun and that's why it's brilliant. It definitely manages to get that balance right and that's not an easy thing to do. Surely St Vincent will start to become more well known after this album, it's simply outstanding.

OVERALL RATING: 9/10

BEST SONGS: DIGITAL WITNESS, BRING ME YOUR LOVES, HUEY NEWTON.