St Vincent's MASSEDUCTION is anchored around themes of sexuality, obsession, and panic. Photo / Nedda Afsari
St Vincent's MASSEDUCTION is anchored around themes of sexuality, obsession, and panic. Photo / Nedda Afsari
St Vincent's self-titled album in 2014 felt like the peak of a career-long ascension; with pale, electric hair, St Vincent (aka Annie Clark) took her rightful place on a pink throne, looking every part the witchy, "future cult leader" she described as the central character on the album. The successof that record shot her to stardom; she won a Grammy, joined Taylor Swift on stage and began a much-publicised relationship with model Cara Delevingne.
MASSEDUCTION is the record that proves Clark is, first and foremost, an artist who - regardless of fan expectations or celebrity status - commits to her own creative vision, growing and changing in the direction that she dictates. She has little time for where people position her; "Oh what a bore to be so adored," she sings on the masterfully playful title track.
Musically, MASSEDUCTION is her most furiously energetic record, and the production - done in collaboration with Jack Antonoff - draws from a brighter, broader palette than her previous releases. Clark's acerbic lyrical style is better than ever, with songs anchoring around themes of sexuality, obsession, and panic. Opener Hang On Me is an ambient call into the void, Clark pulling a companion to her side as she realises, "we're not meant for this world". Later, on the excellently frenetic Fear the Future, she imagines a range of apocalyptic scenarios, begs a higher power for some sort of epiphany, and then thrusts the song into a flurried, cathartic climax that cuts off as abruptly as it starts.
The record is about sex but more broadly, it's about roles - both within our relationships and within society. New York and Los Ageless look at how humans attach themselves to urban spaces, whereas Savior is as much about seductive role-play as it is about a corrosive relationship. Clark's not afraid to get personal; Happy Birthday, Johnny (which returns to a recurring character in St Vincent's music) reflects on a friend whose path has diverged from her own, leaving him with a simple, perhaps bitter wish; "I hope you find peace".
Long-time fans may struggle with the accessibility of MASSEDUCTION but Clark undeniably retains her expertise at zeroing in on what drives human beings. The central lyric to the title track says it all: "I can't turn off what turns me on". There's no turning away from our desires - and Clark will indulge in them whether we like it or not.
St Vincent, MASSEDUCTION
Artist: St Vincent Album: MASSEDUCTION Label: Loma Vista Recordings Verdict: Annie Clark plays seductress on a thrillingly provocative, experimental pop album
