Actor (Bonus Track Version)

Throughout the four albums, it's hard to pick a favorite! But this album might be a first! It's insanely good, there's no way a human being made this!

She's super Awesome I have all her dope albums🌟🌟🌟😆🙌

I guess my opinion of this seems to be a bit more construed than anyone else's, but I think it may have some truth in it so here it is: Yes, it is a masterful album. But I hear it as a fairly focused concept album, too. The lyrics and tone emphasize a contrast between the domestic and the terrifying (or the terrifying IN the domestic?), with Annie Clark taking on the role of a frazzled Stepford housewife desperately clinging to what's left of her sanity. The album plays like a peek inside this woman's head, allowing the listener to understand the fallacy and sinister undercurrents that betray this all-too-perfect picture of domesticity as seen by the album's narrator. Just listen to the first track "The Strangers", in which she addresses one of these people, presumably, as "lover" (the others can be assumed to be her family). At first the song seems quite lovely with Annie showing off her radio-ready voice and a pleasant, harmonic chorus. But wait…what's that she's singing? "Paint the black hole blacker"? Playboys under mattresses? (Later: 'H-E-L-P…help…me…help…me"; "Laughing with a mouth of blood / from a little spill I took"; Setting mattresses on fire; "If you want the neighbors woke, you'll have to shout out even louder!") And what about that ominous ticking sound? Suddenly, it's too late and that ticking erupts into a gloriously strange, fuzzed-out guitar solo. Not convinced? See the excellent video for "Actor Out of Work", which sees this character exercising her emotional detachment, perhaps in an effort to stay sane. The album cover, then, is oddly appropriate: awkwardly close-cropped, an oddly serene expression on a truly beautiful face, and a pair of chillingly empty eyes staring into some unknown light source. All this highlight a contrast of beauty and menace, and the blurring of the line between them. "Acting" becomes the central action of the album: It's about putting on a convincing smile while your mind slowly surrenders to its own neuroticism.

Just The Same But Brand New though.

As a fan of Kid Cudi's song 'Maniac', I stumbled upon St. Vincent some time later; glad I did. She is AMAZING! I love her talent, her lyrics and her charisma on the mic. Annie Clark, you have a new fan :-)

Excellent album! Possibly my favorite ever. Very unique music and lyrics; and Annie has a beautiful voice.

This is one of my favorite records of the year. Really interesting textures and structures. Love love love very song on here. Even the bonus track is worth listening to multiple times.

I tried to listen to this album several times because I really liked the lyrics of the songs. But the songs themselves sent me into metaphorical convulsions. Here's why: it's like she took a movie score that had nothing to do with the melody she was singing, and put it into the song. Then she took another movie score that had nothing to do with the first and put it with the song. Then the two movie score swell and crescendo, completely at odds with each other, while St. Vincent sings a melody that clashes with both of them. On the songs I wanted to like the most, by the end they sounded like they had three or four movie scores fighting with each other. So, no matter how much I liked the lyrics of the songs, I just couldn't listen to it. If St. Vincent would release pared down versions of these songs without the horrible background noise, I would love to listen again.

This is such a unique album. I love how I can listen to it in a bunch of different settings, while doing different things: painting, jogging, riding the train. Truly gifted and touching.

Annie truly is an actress. She morphs her voice for each startling role, without losing the melodies that rose her to fame. By fame, you have to understand I mean Indie fame. And is that really so bad? Maybe she is not number 1, but after a few listens, you'll stop wondering what your mother would say, what your father would do, and what in the world the neighbors would think. Accept it! Annie Clark's surreal wonderland is here to stay.