“All Born Screaming,” St. Vincent

This time, Annie Clark is not playing any character. Don’t wear a costume either, don’t sing in a setting, for example one from the 1970s lounge and psychedelic from his previous album, Daddy’s Home (2021). St. Vincent without filter, without makeup, and it’s good to listen to: there is, in this collection of 10 new songs, which she produced herself (a first), a feeling of urgency, an energy primitive which was missing from his last albums. Of course, nothing is so immediate in the singer-songwriter’s work. His songs full of details, detours and contrasts force attentive listening, comparisons with the most brilliant in his profession (we think of Prince, again, on Big Time Nothing), then admiration. Trace of industrial rock (on Broken Man), soul-rock (Violent Times would make a magnificent theme for the next James Bond), minimalist electro (the ballad The Power’s Out), it all makes sense in the head of Clark, who finds the admirable form of 10 years ago.

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