St. Vincent St. Vincent 2014

Last week I went to the record store with no ideas and came home with this St. Vincent record. I had heard her record with David Byrne, and I didn't like it, but I haven't really liked much of Bryne's post-Talking Heads material, so I didn't hold it against St. Vincent (Annie E. Clark). It is admittedly a pretty strange choice for me, but I'm warming up to it, and it seems so very modern. I'm generally opposed to synth bass, but with St. Vincent's interesting and challenging guitar playing, her odd yet alluring voice, and her talent for melody, well, I'm quite into it.

I don't usually go for quirky, but the more I hear this gem, the less unusual it sounds. There's a pop sensibility here that's not far below the surface. There's also an eighties-styled keyboard sheen that usually gets in the way (at least for me), that works so well with her vocals that it's hard to argue with.

Most of it rocks pretty hard. Her distorted guitar tones and almost crystalline voice carry these interesting compositions, and the strange lyrics add another layer. So what does it sound like? I guess if you crammed a more detached Kate Bush into King Crimson with just a touch of the Cars and Prince you'd get pretty close. There, that'll have you running out to get it.

Samples probably won't let you really hear the record. It's a cohesive whole, with a consistent sound throughout that rewards repeated listening. I took a chance and found a good one. I love when that happens.