Annie Clark's fifth album could be the most critical one in her career. It was enough to follow fan comments on her Facebook page to confirm my hypothesis, but now, after I listened to MASSEDUCTION, it is even more obvious.
One month before the album's release, she started dropping short clips that were conceptualized as interviews with one question. The author of questions and answers was famous comedy actress Carrie Brownstein (Portlandia). Questions were in the range of typical, but answers varied from satirical to eccentric. Comments under videos were polarizing: some praised Annie's sarcasm and welcome her transformation, while others castigated her and called her out as pretentious and "sold".
Annie's answer to the question Are Annie Clark and St.Vincent the same person (You will have to ask her) and decision to paint Fuck Off on her nails reveal the paradigm shift in her artistic persona and her determination to stand for women in music industry.
First three albums of St.Vincent showed soft and talented Annie Clark who played guitar like she was born with it. Her lyrics were always equivocal, but never too provocative, while her main music realm was indie rock, although you could never reduce her work to one genre. From simple Marry Meand Actor, to more complex Strange Mercy and St.Vincent, Annie's experimentation tendencies have now escalated. She said that the name of the record is not Asseduction just because that title needs to be saved for some other release. Lol.
The album title suggests the main theme - interplay between the subject and object of seduction. Who seduces? The one who sings or the one who listens? Playing with associations and references is St.Vincent's forte on MASSEDUCTION. The biggest disadvantage of the album is that its main producer is Jack Antonoff, the guy who is "responsible" for Taylor Swift and Lorde.
Transformation or provocation? Whatever it is, Annie conceptualized the narrative meticulously. The sound is fusion of many different genres, with artificial beats and electric guitar dominating the melodies. Guitar doesn't really sound like guitar, but according to Annie, that's exactly what she intended. Her signature sound is camouflaged between synths and other electro pop elements, but her vocal mastery couldn't hide.
Album is experimental on one other level. It challenges us, listeners. How ready we are to accept brilliant artist shifting towards mainstream? How willing are we to trust her that she is doing it with purpose other than materialistic? Time will tell.
Until we find that out, I can not stop listening to Happy Birthday Johnny, Smoking Section, Los Ageless, New York, Pills and Slow Disco. No matter how unaccepted this new St.Vincent seems to be by some of her old fans, I believe How can anybody have you or lose you? from Los Ageless is the line of the year. That whole song is the ultimate dark pop fantasy.
When asked what does seduction mean to her, St.Vincent said: When invitation for the party is better than party itself. That would be the most suitable description of her fifth album - an invitation for the party that is better than the party itself.
