Album Review: St. Vincent’s Actor

by Mandi Collier

Since graduating from Lake Highlands High School in 2001, Annie Clark has accomplished quite a lot.

Performing under the stage name St. Vincent, she just released her sophomore effort on May 2 and is currently touring nationally. The record, entitled, Actor, is complete with her signature airy vocals and quirky arrangements, along with a few surprises here and there.

Repetitious harmonies and lyrics saturate the opening tracks, "Strangers" being the first. The phrase, "Paint the black hole blacker," provides the song's theme as it flows in and out for the duration. In addition to the motif, she incorporates a completely different melody and sound about three-fourths of the way through; adding yet another level to the already-concentrated idea.

"The Neighbors" is the prime example of the aforementioned "quirky arrangements." Utilizing almost harsh background music intermittently in the chorus, this one might throw you for a loop as it changes pace.

"Actor Out of Work" is perchance the biggest and most effective surprise of the whole record. The song is upbeat and thoughtfully produced, and although it might not be quite ready for pop radio, it has definite mainstream potential. The song is a full, distinctive cycle, one that can be heard and understood by greater number of listeners.

Bringing in a new concept, "Black Rainbow" acts almost like a movie score as nearly half of the song is instrumentals- mainly crescendo-ing ones. Strings and idiosyncratic winds begin "Marrow," while a synthesizer continues it. Many influences, those of different decades, themes, and ideas, seem to come together to complete this musical thought.

"The Bed" and "Just The Same But Brand New" are sweet, careful tracks with chimes, piano, and lyrics discussing things like whimsical monsters hiding under the bed. These add balance, making the record equivalent to a perfectly level scale.

The album as a whole flows like a story, each song a different chapter, and each chapter illustrating a different life experience. Perhaps this is no accident as Clark herself wrote the record with a few favorite films in mind. It is as though Actor is the musical accompaniment to the combination of this cinematography- one in which Clark plays the starring role.

Actor continues the introduction process that Marry Me began. It familiarizes us with its maker a little more each time it's played. Although Clark now calls Brooklyn her home, we're still proud to claim her as she puts yet another Dallas musician on the musical map.

This story was submitted by a member of the Pegasus News community.