New York is a delicate tribute to St Vincent's Heroes

After basically tearing up her own rulebook with her 2014 self-titled album, St Vincent can do anything she wants. Except what Annie Clark wants is to direct movies, with the announcement that she is to make her full directorial debut with a gender-swapped version of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. I'm sure Clark will make a fantastic film, but I really wish she would get back to making music.

Until then I have "New York", a possible first single to an album that may be out before the end of the year, maybe. Still, after the pyrotechnics of her last album Clark has decided to go in a softer direction with a beautiful ballad dedicated to her heroes that she lost in 2016: including David Bowie, and Prince. It's a lovely tribute, and proof that Clark is still as magnificent when she takes her foot off the gas. Typically, while the arrangement is soft, there is still anger in Clark's lyrics and vocal. Anger is an underrated emotion when it comes to grief, and the way it is mixed with a sense of longing only gives the song more power.

So please Annie, for me, get a new album out before you rock in a whole different medium.