Newer Music:
St. Vincent : Daddy’s Home
Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent) is a bonafide rock star–surely among the most interesting, talented, and ground-breaking artists in music. She is an amalgamation of the brilliance of Madonna and Prince, but operating two decades too late to have the same cultural impact. Her fantastic new record Daddy’s Home, released earlier this month, deserves consideration as an Album Of The Year contender.
Clark, originally from Oklahoma and Texas, began her professional music career as a band member of Polyphonic Spree and then as part of Sufjan Stevens’ touring band. She released her debut LP Marry Me in 2007. Following two more solid full albums (Actor in 2009 and Strange Mercy in 2011), she embarked on a fruitful recording and touring collaboration with David Byrne. Her two highest-profile records, 2015’s self-titled record and MASSEDUCTION in 2017, transformed her into a prominent name in indie and mainstream music circles.
In recent years, Clark added film directing and music production to her resume. She produced the Sleater-Kinney record The Center Won’t Hold in 2018 and collaborated with super producer Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift on a track in 2019. Clark joined Antonoff on production duties for this new St. Vincent record.
Given the artist/producer combination involved, Daddy’s Home features the impeccable production and rich, layered sound you’d expect. What feels different about this St. Vincent record is a casual, loose vibe that permeates every song and the deployment of warmer, softer instrumentation creating a comforting, luxuriant experience.
Filthy and delightful album opener and lead single Pay Your Way in Pain kicks the record off with carefree piano abruptly careening into sleazy synths. Elsewhere, including on highlight track The Melting of the Sun, we are treated to sitar guitar, funk guitar, pedal steel, organ, and more. At The Holiday Party winds the record down with gorgeous, soothing brass flourishes.
Pay no attention to any music critics calling this a disappointment or misfire. Daddy’s Home is a more than fitting addition the impressive catalog of a rock star operating at the top of her game.
I’ve seen St. Vincent play powerful shows in festival settings at Austin City Limits and the End of The Road Festival in England. I’m excited to see her play at the Gallivan Center later this year as part of the SLC Twilight Concert Series.
Standout Tracks: Pay Your Way in Pain; The Melting of The Sun; Down; Somebody Like Me; …At The Holiday Party
Bell Orchestre : House Music
This new Bell Orchestre instrumental record has been my background music of choice for the last few weeks. I love the idea of accomplished indie rock artists applying the improvisational jazz approach to experimental rock music. Bell Orchestre is a Montreal-based music collective featuring two full members of Arcade Fire, Richard Reed Parry and Sarah Neufield, who are both accomplished solo musicians and composers.
The bands described the record as follows: “House Music is that elusive dream made real – a large piece of music recorded almost entirely at the same moment it was written. We isolated ourselves in house in rural Vermont for weeks and just improvised all day every day, recording everything. This album is what came out of that time. Music that leaps before it looks.” They also describe the results of their sessions as “nuanced music that had emerged organically, completely formed, without any plan or discussion or rational thought.”
Standout Tracks: II: House; IV: What You’re Thinking; V: Movement; VII: Colour Fields; IX: Nature That’s It That’s All
Esther Rose : How Many Times
I don’t find myself listening often to records with prominent fiddle, yet here I am playing this Esther Rose LP for the fourth time this week. How Many Times is the third album from this New Orleans-based artist, but the first one to come to my attention. Rose has a wonderful voice and, most importantly, has written a collection of undeniably strong, inviting tunes. A pleasant surprise of a stellar Americana record.
Standout Tracks: Keeps Me Running; How Many Times; My Bad Mood; When You Go; Mountaintop
For Those I Love : For Those I Love
For Those I Love is the music project of Irish artist David Balfe. His debut record of the same name is part tribute to a deceased friend and a document of struggling working class families in Dublin. Balfe’s strong Irish spoken word vocal performance will likely be very distinctive and memorable to most American ears. The standout vocals are enhanced with well-constructed electronic music featuring top-notch production and well-curated sampling. For Those I Love is a unique front to back narrative listening experience reminiscent of The Streets masterpiece A Grand Don’t Come For Free.
Who can resist an album the features the following credits on the back on the vinyl record: “All songs written, recorded, and mixed by David Balfe in his ma’s shed and his bedroom.”
Standout Tracks: Birthday/The Pain; I Have A Love; To Have You; The Shape of You; Leave Me Not Love
Throwback Selection:
Elbow : Newborn
Yet another example of the frequent phenomena of an accomplished British band beloved in their UK homeland, Europe, and even Asia (and beyond!) but with very little cultural impact in the US, Manchester darlings Elbow recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of the release of their debut record Asleep In the Back.
Elbow would put out many better records in the future, but Asleep in the Back is absolutely worth revisiting (or visiting for the first time!). The Title track and Newborn are singles that recall Coldplay or Travis, while album tracks Coming Second and Little Beast channel more of a Bends-era Radiohead or Doves sound. Album closer Scattered Black and Whites is a staggeringly beautiful song I’ve yet to tire of in the least.
Guy Garvey is a truly great lead singer and band leader who needs to be experienced to be fully appreciated. Elbow’s album recordings sound great, but their full appeal is only understood in a live show setting. I saw them tour this debut record in 2001 and have been fortunate to see them a few other times since. I loved watching the sheer magnetism of Garvey’s personality and performance completely win over a neutral festival crowd at Coachella. Standalone Elbow shows always end with an endearing audience singalong that softens even this cynical soul. A genuinely life-affirming band.
Standout Tracks: Scattered Blacks and Whites; Asleep In The Back; Newborn; Coming Second; Any Day Now; Little Beast
More Related Music You Should Also Check Out: Sleater-Kinney : The Center Won’t Hold;
