St. Vincent – MASSEDUCTION (Loma Vista, 2017)
St. Vincent, a.k.a. Annie Clark, has redeveloped her singular stylings in new and interesting ways on MASSEDUCTION, her most recent album. The sound of this album is new, but at the same time, retains St. Vincent’s charm. The guitars are still crunchy and percussive and her voice is as dynamic as ever, while the electronic sounds are satisfyingly punchy. “Fear The Future” has a tight electronic beat alongside St. Vincent’s strange vocal melody, which constantly fluctuates from high to low. “Smoking Section” is a slower piano ballad, but when she shifts to her falsetto, the song becomes more grandiose and emotional. My only grievance is with some of the lyrics. The lyrics of “Pills” feel kind of edgy and simultaneously attempt humour and seriousness, but I don’t think it works. Nonetheless, this album is an absolute joy.
Sample track: “Smoking Section”
Rating: 8/10
