Strangely saintly

Too often these days, the big names in the music industry pump out formulaic, over-produced pieces of garbage while resting on their laurels, knowing we’re all going to listen to them anyway.
If there is one thing that can be said for St. Vincent’s “Strange Mercy,” it’s that the album is certainly not a formulaic piece of garbage, and that’s the point.
Annie Clark is brutally honest in her third album with St. Vincent, acknowledging and even lamenting that in her past she may have been a little too sweet and listener-friendly.
Clark speaks directly to this in “Champagne Year.” Now 28 years old, Clark is celebrating her champagne year (born on September 28, 1982), which is supposed to be a happy occasion.
St. Vincent’s take on it is almost a concession to the machine. “I’ll make a living telling people what they want to hear/It’s not a killing but it’s enough to keep the cobwebs clear.”
The title track of the album clearly illustrates the anguish she feels with angry lyrics and sorrowful melodies. The anger Clark is trying to work through comes across in lyrics such as “If I ever meet that dirty policeman who roughed you up, no, I don’t know what,” which is a cute kind of angry that makes St. Vincent endearing.
“Cheerleader” serves as a sort of rock anthem in which Clark gets to show her skill as a guitar player while exorcising some demons. With a beating defiance, Clark belts out in her entrancing, serene voice, “I don’t wanna be your cheerleader no more.”
It’s that juxtaposition of beautiful vocals and lyrics such as “Best, finest surgeon/Come cut me open” that resonate the loudest and give “Strange Mercy” an ambience you can’t shake.
While I don’t appreciate feeling like I just took the weight of the world on my shoulders after just one listen through, it definitely speaks to the effectiveness of St. Vincent as a lyricist and a musician.
In “Neutered Fruit,” Clark poses the question, “Did you ever really care for me the way I cared for you?”
After delving into her soul for the entirety of “Strange Mercy,” whether we like it or not, the answer is an emphatic “Yes, we certainly do now.”