St. Vincent.

So lately I've been listening to a little St.Vincent (stage name of Annie Clark). It's this strange, enchanting mix of guitar riffs, airy melodies, and interestingly placed synthesizers. And of course, they're Annie Clark's voice. HER VOICE. It has that perfect balance of strong but vulnerable. She sings with such longing, and such feeling that it leaves your heart hurting from how beautiful it is. It all culminates into  that kind of music you can't classify and you don't know WHY you like it, but you just DO. It's infectious. A few standouts from her newest album (Strange Mercy) include "Champagne Year" (refers to the year in which you turn the same age as your birthday) - which is has an interesting balance of empty instrumental sections and powerful, questioning sections that highlight her amazing voice. It seems almost like an ode to midlife crisis with the lines "I make a living telling people what they want to hear" - it captures that feeling we all have, we all know. The feeling of being false to yourself and living in a lie. And of course, there is the title song "Strange Mercy" which is quirky and catchy, with interesting riffs and captivating vocals which border on hazy. It also has another one of those empty instrumental sections which seem pivotal to Clark's work. Another one of my favorites is "Actor Out of Work" from her 2009 album work which borders on pop with bubbly riffs and repetitive lyrics and runs. Similarly pop influenced is "Marrow" off that same album in which she chants "H-E-L-P, help me, help me". St. Vincent seems to simply have something to offer everyone.