St. Vincent’s hypnotic sophomore album, Actor, ends
peculiarly. Penultimate track “Just the Same but Brand New” builds from
light guitar chimes and Annie Clark’s breathy vocals into a storm of
zigzag guitars and distorted drum crashes before exiting in a din of
wheezy electronics; in other words, it’s the end credits. Yet “The
Sequel” officially closes the album with humming woodwinds and warm
atmospherics. The track is a winking coda, and a prime example of the
cleverness that makes Actor a rewarding listen.
Still, Actor isn’t flawless. Clark maintains a limited vocal
range, transitioning from breathy to lilting, which may disengage some
listeners. Unfortunately, such listeners may miss Clark’s sharp, dark
lyrics, as they are casually sung. Nevertheless, Clark’s
computer-written scores—much of the backing music was reportedly
composed on GarageBand after or during viewings of her favorite
films—add an interesting layer (and subtext) to each track.
Opener “The Strangers” builds over haunted choral moans; “Marrow”
steadies itself on seasick electronics, while “Laughing With a Mouth of
Blood” is constructed around fluttery strings.
Actor is uniquely modern; noticeably heard are its combined
influences of the genteel folk of Fairport Convention, the aural
destructiveness of Sonic Youth, and the operatic gloss of movie scores
(Disney in particular). That same modernity meshes the handsome and the
grotesque in “The Bed,” where Clark’s calm vibrato sings, “Don’t move /
Don’t scream / Or we will have to shoot” over colliding symphonic
arrangements.
In other words: thumbs up.
This article appears in Jun 18-24, 2009.