St. Vincent - Strange Mercy

[corianderstem]

Finally listened to it. I love it.

 

[cobl04]

First listen not quite loving it

The ballads are where its at - New York is one of the songs of the year and the other highlights for me are Happy Birthday Johnny and Slow Disco.

Speaking of, who's guesting towards the end on Slow Disco? It sounds like one of the Autre Ne Veut / Twin Shadow / Chad Valley crowd.

 

[gump]

This album is super dense, but it’s so good. I dont agree with cobbler. The ballads are good, but Los Ageless, Masseduction and Hang on Me are up there for me. Los Ageless is my SOTY at this point.

 

[cobl04]

go fuck yourself.

 

[iron yuppie]

Masseduction the song is killer.

 

[LemonMelon]

Pills, Masseduction and Savior are my favorites. Sexy, Prince-inspired Annie is niiice.

Happy Birthday Johnny and New York are good though and the former is something of a lyrical breakthrough. I've never heard anything that heartbreaking from her before.

 

[gump]

It’s a pretty nicely designed record as well:

 

[cobl04]

Have you got the standard or deluxe edition? Does it come with lyrics?

 

[gump]

I think mine is the regular edition (it’s not gatefold, in any event). There is a large foldable poster inside with lyrics on the other side.

 

[iron yuppie]

My record club has it as album of the month for November. Looking forward to seeing what they’ve done with the vinyl.

 

[PhilsFan]

Might take me another month to get past Pills. I still can't reckon with how horrible and embarrassing it is, and it has me cringing through what are probably probably fine songs for the remainder of the album.

 

[LemonMelon]

Peef likes everything about Pills except for the part where she says pills.

Spoiler

still the best song on the album

 

[LemonMelon]

Speaking of, who's guesting towards the end on Slow Disco? It sounds like one of the Autre Ne Veut / Twin Shadow / Chad Valley crowd.

90% sure it's just Annie pitched down.

 

[nielsgov]

I thought it was Anohni at first.

 

[gump]

Me too, it really sounds like her.

 

[cobl04]

Drooooonnnne bomb meeeeee

 

[cobl04]

I just stumbled across this song, after it autocued after a spin thru of Masseduction on Spotify.



It was made for Girls. I was just discussing it with the Dep, who was saying this is the direction he wishes she'd gone in and I completely agree.

 

[PhilsFan]

Peef likes everything about Pills except for the part where she says pills.

Spoiler

still the best song on the album

One of the worst choruses I have ever heard in any song.

 

[Joey788]

Having given MASSEDUCTION many spins over the last few weeks, I'm pretty sure it's going to be my Album of the Year. I absolutely love the new sound she cultivates on this record. It's so odd and catchy and not what I was expecting from her. The title track, Pills, Sugarboy, Young Lover, Fear the Future, Smoking Section are all among my favorites. It's an exciting, vibrant listen and I think the most complete work she's ever done.

 

[PhilsFan]

Review of the concert:

Spoiler

The live show is certainly different this time around. The lack of band is easily the biggest disappointment. The light show is good, but the first set with her just playing by herself, often with neutered, slowed down backing tracks to songs from the first four albums, leaves a lot to be desired. She's shredding even more on the guitar, but hers is a full sound and this takes the emphasis off of that. It's also only 10 songs total from the first four albums. Some really good stuff is not being played, consequently.

The portion with the new album is a very good visual representation of it, and it's clear that the band being sacrificed this time around was with this element in mind. The visuals are almost entirely Annie, pieced together from music videos and promo clips already released. It creates an interesting effect. The songs on this album are better suited for this type of presentation than any of the old material, so it works for the most part.

The ending of Dancing with a Ghost > Slow Disco > Smoking Section is exactly as it is on the album: it's not that any of it is bad, but the penultimate song in the tracklisting probably should have been something with a little more tempo.

Los Ageless still may be her best song to date. Already seemed as popular as her biggest hit (Digital Witness) from the oldies half of the set.

 

[Lancemc]

This album is so dope. The video for Pills is suuuper cringey but the song is awesome. Los Angeles is clearly the standout here. I'm glad she's going down this road established by her self-titled, which remains my favorite of hers I think. Utterly perfect album, that.

 

[cobl04]

It's called Los Ageless, you fucking idiot.

Also, it's not dope. See my post above. Impy and I are in agreeance.

Strange Mercy is her masterpiece.

 

[Mack_Again]

It's called Los Ageless, you fucking idiot.

who hurt you?

 

[HeartlandGirl]

It's called Los Ageless, you fucking idiot.

Also, it's not dope. See my post above. Impy and I are in agreeance.

Strange Mercy is her masterpiece.

It's called agreement, you fucking idiot.

 

[cobl04]

You'd think I'd know that for someone who topped my school in English.

 

[LemonMelon]

Strange Mercy is her masterpiece.

^^^

Actor and Masseduction are battling it out for second place.

 

[Lancemc]

It's called Los Ageless, you fucking idiot.

Also, it's not dope. See my post above. Impy and I are in agreeance.

Strange Mercy is her masterpiece.

It’s a fucking slip you twat stain, I have to type the words “Los angeles” a bizarre amount of times daily at work.

I’ve probably listened to Strange Mercy over a hundred times and far more than her other albums. But the self titled is so fiiiiiiiierce

 

[corianderstem]

The self titled is my favorite. I need to listen to Strange Mercy again, though - it's been a very long time since I've heard it.

 

[gump]

Actor has such a Proustian memory effect on me and moving to NY in 2009 that I tend to overrate it, so it's nice to see others enjoy it. In reality she does not have a weak or even middling album. Everything is very good to fantastic. I have a difficult time ranking them, but I guess I would say:

Strange Mercy
Actor
Masseduction
Self-Titled/Marry Me

I also think that Love This Giant is an underrated part of her discography.

Seeing the show Saturday night.

 

[iron yuppie]

As I have gone back though her discography a few times, I have come to appreciate Actor a lot. That album is consistent as hell and shows the birth of the manic Annie we all love.