Tuesday 30 April 2019

A Beginner's Guide: St. Vincent

Hi everyone!

I'm starting a new series on this blog!!! 😃
Lemme explain... every music nerd has been here, you hear talk of an artist/band, maybe you've even heard a couple songs, you wanna delve into their discography but have no clue where to begin. Well... hopefully my guides can help you 😉


Quite a few years ago (on my Tumblr page) I made a post explaining that I really wanted to explore St. Vincent's back catalogue. At the time, I was only familiar with her David Byrne collaboration, Love This Giant, and I didn't have a clue where to begin. A few users kindly sent me recommendations and now, several years later, I've become a huge fan of her work and like to consider myself well-versed in her discography.



So... whether you're in the same position I was a few years ago, just wanna discover some new music or a hardcore fan of Annie and are a little curious what my picks are, this guide is for you!


1. You may like St. Vincent if you enjoy -

Talking Heads, David Bowie, Mitski, Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, Jazz, Rock, Electro, bad-ass guitarists!


2. A "must know" song -

New York (from Masseduction)

One of Annie's more recent singles but an instant fan favourite and a song that I believe is synonymous with everything that St. Vincent is most loved for! Emotional songwriting and heartbreaking melodies with a unique, quirky twist.
A lyric from New York also got made into a few pretty funny memes when Lorde (who later covered the song) tweeted one of it's most memorable lines



3. Which album should you listen to first?


Masseduction
Although I'd pick this as my favourite St. Vincent album (so far), I'm not suggesting you start with this one for that reason. If you're totally new to St. Vincent, I'd recommend starting with Masseducation first because I feel like it's an album that features all of Annie's best qualities as an artist. I also feel like Annie's sound is very refined on here and her songwriting is perhaps at it's most catchy, there's nothing too crazy in comparison with her earlier work. Not only that but there's a narrative that runs through this album with themes of loss and anxiety that many of us will find relatable. It's a great place to start if you slowly want to ease yourself into the madness 😂

For fans of this album, her most recent release was a raw, acoustic piano driven re-working of this album, titled MassEducation (a tongue in cheek reference to a common misreading of Masseduction), that interprets the songs with a whole new level of intensity

4. A Cult Favourite -

The Strangers (studio version can be found on Actor)

The opening track from her second studio album. Actor, features some of Annie's best songwriting and her jazz roots are a very prominent influence on the composition. Much like Masseduction/MassEducation, it's really interesting to compare the studio version of The Strangers (a beautifully tense arrangement that starts off fragile, yet gradually builds into something explosive) with this stunning live acoustic version she recorded for Lake Fever Sessions. I feel like this is a prime example of Annie's ability to craft a song that can still sound great and deliver the message and emotion, no matter how it's arranged. No matter what, everything is rooted in the song. 

It's also worth mentioning that Kid Cudi sampled the song on Maniac (from his album Man On The Moon II: The Legend Of Mr Rager)

5. "I've listened to Masseduction and I love it, where do I go from here?"

If you've also listened to MassEducation, I would suggest listening to her self-titled album next and working your way backwards through her discography. You may notice there's a stylistic shift between her albums pre and post her David Byrne collab, in that there's much more energy in her approach to composition post Love This Giant, whereas some of her earlier records feel much more delicate with a heavier focus on melody. 

6. Finally, some things worth noting...

  • Visuals play a very important role in St. Vincent's music - You'll notice that Annie likes to play around with her image and each album appears to have it's own character that emphasises the themes and style of each record
  • Annie was a part of The Polyphonic Spree
  • St Vincent has her own line of guitars with Ernie Ball! 

I've only scratched the surface but I hope this has given you a little bit of insight into the world of St. Vincent and, most importantly, I hope this encourages you to go and discover her incredible music for yourself!

What are your thoughts on St. Vincent? Do you feel there's something I've missed?
Please do let me know!

I hope to write more of these little guides for other artists and bands very soon... so keep checking and please submit any requests!

Thank you for reading, 


Josh :-)

Disclaimer: None of the images used in this article are my own, they have been used solely for the purposes of review. No copyright infringement intended

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