Strange Mercy seems a catharsis of sorts. That’s not to say that the album is all ‘in your face’ angry and dark, as moments of optimism, humanity and Clark’s angelic voice together make it a far more complex affair than that.Ĭlark deals with the difficult rather than just railing against it, trying to understand and treat the pain associated with love and loss. Clark has pertinent things to say and Strange Mercy conveys them well. And the lyrical stylings suit well the intense musical direction. Largely gone are the pastoral sounds found on Marry Me and Actor, replaced by shredded guitar, caustic synths, electronic effects and restless beats. It’s determination to take traditional pop and theatrical song structures and stretch them beyong their limits is palpable, as it twists and pulls at acceptibilities and confounds expectation at every turn. Strange Mercy is a strange album, strange though only though in terms of its brazen, originality. These two words set together best describe the third album, Strange Mercy from the extraordinarily talented American singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Annie Clark, artistically known to all of us now as St. VINCENT – STRANGE MERCYīeautifully abrasive.
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