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So Annie Clark's got a new record out...
...and, s**t, I like it a lot more than I expected.

I kinda cringed when I heard Dave Grohl was playing on it. The first single confirmed my fears. "Oh, no, not a stoner record". The chorus on Flea, the second single, convinced me further that I would hate the album. The third one had me doubting myself.

Now I've had the record on repeat since yesterday and boy was I wrong. I liked bits of the previous one, Daddy's Home, but overall it felt like it was too long and too 'plastic', like a worse version of Bowie's Young Americans (an obvious reference, both visually and sonically.)

ABS, despite sounding like another type of plastic when abbreviated, is not a stoner rock record, nor does it overstay its welcome. It is concise, varied, full of cool melodies and cool sounds. It feels a lot less sedated than her last two albums. Violent Times is a four-minute epic jazzy thing à la Bjork. Hell, I'm even starting to like the first two singles. Her sharp sense of groove cuts through a lot more thanks to the more pared-down production.

I now realize that I am faster to judge her than I do most other bands I follow. I get a fully emotional response to her releases, good or bad or in between. The last artist I did that with was Bowie when I was a kid/teenager. I guess I like her work that much.

Any other fans out here?

I was such a fan of everything St. Vincent did...then the last two albums completely and totally lost me. To the point that I wasn't even going to give this one a try. I may give it a listen, now that I see you say that it's different from them.

Thanks for posting this!

Listened to it a couple times and have to give it a solid Meh. It's not as cringey as her last two albums, but honestly just seems to have recycled some older ideas and took off the interesting sharp edges.

ryland wrote: ↑

Wed May 01, 2024 8:21 am

Listened to it a couple times and have to give it a solid Meh. It's not as cringey as her last two albums, but honestly just seems to have recycled some older ideas and took off the interesting sharp edges.

Totally my thoughts. It's just simply... not interesting.

I went right off her after the whole Sleater-Kinney thing, but I have to admit that the songs I have heard from this album are right good.

Well...yeah.
I think I like every single one of them, even the reggae thing, and god knows that sounded like a car crash on the paper. I like the melodies a lot. The songs sound like songs rather than half-baked ideas like they did on Daddy's Home.
The album is still on repeat in my workshop

i've always been aware of her, but never really listened to her at all, until this album, because of Grohl and Mark Guiliana on it.
I dig it! i watched a video of her talking about the recording process of the album, and there's some interesting stuff there, but i just found her irritating to watch/listen to. maybe she was super caffeinated or she's normally just like that, but by the end of it, i am pretty sure i am ok skipping the next suggested interview video i see with her.
however, i still dig the album

Massively got into this album and am now on a back catalogue deep dive, along with seeing her live last week.

Have been aware of her of course, but never paid loads of attention and now I feel a bit silly.