The first time I listened to St. Vincents' debut album Marry Me, I immediately fell in love. Now Fast-forward two years to when they hype machine started pumping up Annie Clark’s new album, Actor. I was worried. I was down right scared that this record would not compare to the magic of its predecessor. Would she suffer from the dreaded sophomore syndrome and completely bomb this thing? The release of the singles “Actor Out Of Work” and “The Strangers” eased my mind, but only just a little. Then I finally got a legitimate copy of Actor and dove right in with fingers crossed.
In case you haven't heard, I'll go back to the basics. Annie Clark is a multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter who has become a staple of indie music as of late, winning the Plug Awards' Female Artist of the Year and being named one of Rolling Stone’s five discoveries at this year’s SXSW. Before St. Vincent, Clark played guitar in The Polyphonic Spree, was part of Sufjan Stevens' touring band, and even played with avant-garde composer Glenn Branca. To be honest, I don't feel confident in trying to corral her into a certain genre. She's a vigilante of today’s stereotypical music, creating her very own path to success and destroying those in her wake. Her creativity, diversity, and sophistication is comparable to very few.
When writing Actor, Clark began each song as a film score. Influenced by some of her favorite films including The Wizard of Oz, Sleeping Beauty and Badlands, she took and twisted excerpts to her liking. Knowing this, I think it's sort of obvious that the album is lacking in substance and inspiration compared to Marry Me. It's a tad mixed up at times, as if Clark didn't know where to finish, which seemed to me like she should have used some more restraint. Overall, Actor is graceful, dicey, and even danceable at times. Lyrically, it's less clever then that of her debut, but its inventiveness, charm, and overall entertainment make up for its lack of keenness. Compositionally, Actor is brilliant, making a pattern that, on paper, shouldn't really work, but somehow does. It's an album that you must pay full attention to. Begin to relax and you'll miss everything. Like a nightmare, Actor eats away at you until you truly understand and absorb it.
The album opens with the single “The Strangers,” which gives listeners a slight hint of what’s to come with Actor’s release. It is a beautiful opening of the album; a grand baroque-pop song filled with delicate vocals, sliding acoustics, and flashback melodies. It almost sounds as if it’s coming from an old music box. Then, around halfway through, the song takes an unexpected turn with blistering warped guitar riffs. She uses this technique to articulate the record’s anxieties and darkness, since her alluring and tranquil voice rarely varies. Although it may not be the pop-sensibilities that you came looking for, it is most definitely just as impressive.
Halfway through, you’ll arrive at the whimsical ballad “Black Rainbow”. Backed by a diverse gang of instruments from woodwinds to cellos, her mellow and soothing voice never stresses to hit the high note, nor does it need to. Towards the end there is an intense orchestration building up, which fades to nothing. It's a heart-rending expression of panic and despair.
“The Bed,” and “The Party,” two songs from the end of record, hearken back to Marry Me. “The Bed,” is a melody-driven ballad, seeming to come right out of a classic Disney movie. With fluttering flutes swirling you round and round, this track is as equally beautiful as it is mysterious. “The Party” is a divine melodic piano build up for the record, being the first of its kind. Later, a mixture of accompanying strings and drums pop up, adding to the track’s overall intensity. It's without a doubt one of the album’s highlights, vocally and musically. These tracks are simple, yet breathtaking, with a certain charm that is indescribable.
Compared to Marry Me, there are certain things Actor is lacking, yet at the same time, the record has introduced many new experimental elements. From the start, Annie Clark has created her own definition of what pop music is; with Actor, it appears that she plans on continuously doing so. Annie Clark is certainly more than just some pretty girl with a guitar - she’s a star in a sea full of extras. Give Actor a Listen, and you’ll understand what I mean.
Track List
1. The Strangers (4:04)
2. Save Me From What I Want (3:35)
3. The Neighbors (3:30)
4. Actor Out Of Work (2:15)
5. Black Rainbow (4:11)
6. Laughing With A Mouth Of Blood (3:01)
7. Marrow (3:24)
8. The Bed (3:43)
9. The Party (4:05)
10. Just The Same But Brand New (5:24)
11. The Sequel (1:53)
