Strange Mercy

Strange Mercy
Strange Mercy
Studio album by St. Vincent
Released September 12, 2011
Genre Art rock, baroque pop
Length 41:16
Label 4AD
Producer Annie Clark, John Congleton
St. Vincent chronology
Actor
(2009)		 Strange Mercy
(2011)

Strange Mercy is the third studio album by musician St. Vincent, released by 4AD on September 12, 2011, in the United Kingdom and a day later in the United States. The album's cover art was designed by St. Vincent, and was photographed by Tina Tyrell.[1] The album peaked at #19 on the Billboard 200, making it St. Vincent's highest charting album yet.[2] In addition, Strange Mercy received mostly positive reviews from critics.[3]

Contents

Background and recording

Strange Mercy was written in Seattle while Annie Clark spent time in isolation there, an experience Clark described as a "loneliness experiment" and "a cleanse."[4][5] The reason she spent time in isolation was to escape from the information overload she was experiencing with New York and modern technology.[6] Clark arrived in Seattle on October 2010 and stayed at the Ace Hotel. She used a studio provided by Jason McGerr to record her materials.[7]

The album was first announced in a Twitter post on January 12, 2011.[8] In early March, producer John Congleton, who also worked with Clark on Actor, commented that he and Clark were nearly a third of the way through recording the new release.[9] The album was recorded at Elwood Studio in Dallas, Texas.[10]

In July of 2011, Clark announced that a track from Strange Mercy would be unlocked when enough Twitter users tweeted the hashtag "#strangemercy."[11] During the campaign, teaser videos for the album, which Clark described as riffing on the idea of "strange mercy," were released.[5] On July 22, 2011, a track from the album, "Surgeon," was released as a free MP3 download following the Twitter campaign.[12] On August 25, 2011, a music video for the track "Cruel" was released.[13] The music video, which featured Clark being kidnapped by a motherless family, being forced to be a wife in the family and being buried alive, was filmed around San Francisco and on Mare Island.[14][15] On September 4, 2011, Strange Mercy was streamed in its entirety on NPR Music.[16]

Lyrics

Strange Mercy was described as being more personal than previous St. Vincent albums.[4][15] "Chloe In The Afternoon," the album's opener, is about Clark's anxieties over monogamy, while "Cheerleader" "has a decidedly feminine point of view."[5] The lyrics "Best, finest surgeon. Come cut me open" in the track "Surgeon" were taken from a line written in Marilyn Monroe's journal. Clark found that line to be "brilliant and really strange," saying "And I was - I put, you know, inspiration from my own life for various situational depression or what - call it what you will. And this line, best finest surgeon, really resonated with me." The album closer "Year of the Tiger" was written about the depression Clark experienced in 2010, the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese calender.[15] Clark did not elaborate on what caused her depression.[7]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 4/5 stars[17]
The A.V. Club (A-)[18]
BBC Music (mixed)[19]
Consequence of Sound 4.5/5 stars[20]
The Guardian 4/5 stars[21]
The Observer 5/5 stars[22]
Pitchfork Media (9.0/10)[23]
Popmatters (9/10)[24]
Q 4/5 stars[25]
Spin (9/10)[26]
Slant Magazine 4/5 stars[27]

Strange Mercy has received critical acclaim. On the review aggregate site Metacritic, the album has a score of 86 out of 100, indicating "Universal Acclaim."[3]

Pitchfork Media's Ryan Dombal gave the album a Best New Music designation, writing "Here, Clark's role-playing is grounded in emotions that are as cryptic as they are genuine and affecting. And when her voice can't bear it, her guitar does the screaming."[23] Drowned In Sound's Sean Adams also gave the album a positive review, writing, "Don’t be fooled by them saucer-like bambi eyes[...] or her tip-top indie-rock-positioning system[...] because this is an album that rockets toward you, ricochets through your emotions and finally decides to lay you down on the floor, headphones on, tumbling around like a blissed-out cat in the sun."[28] Spin's Stacey Anderson called Strange Mercy St. Vincent's "most mercurial [album] yet", continuing: "Clark's complex femininity, both self-possessed and keenly evolving, is what makes her music so powerful and fascinating."[26] Q magazine also gave the album a positive reivew, writing: "Combining elegance and menace expertly, Clark's vocals drift languidly amid swimmy guitars, siren-like choirs and strings, while lyrical undercurrents of anger, hysteria and black humour tug beneath the surface."[25]Arnold Pan of Popmatters praised the album for balancing experimentation and accessibility, writing "It’s as if Strange Mercy is making the case that high art can have a popular dimension—and the reverse, too, that pop culture can be high-minded and artful. Like peers such as Animal Collective and Dirty Projectors, Clark creates challenging music that doesn’t go over your head even though you realize there’s more going on with it than you can wrap your mind around."[24]

In a more mixed review, BBC Music's Wyndham Wallace called Strange Mercy "a little underwhelming," writing that there was a lack of standout tracks. Wallace continued: "[...] ultimately Strange Mercy sounds like her best record still lies ahead, once she feels a little more at ease with balancing her obviously multiple talents."[19]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Annie Clark, except track 11 (written by Annie Clark and Sharon Clark)[29]. 

No. Title Length
1. "Chloe in the Afternoon"   2:55
2. "Cruel"   3:35
3. "Cheerleader"   3:28
4. "Surgeon"   4:25
5. "Northern Lights"   3:33
6. "Strange Mercy"   4:28
7. "Neutered Fruit"   4:13
8. "Champagne Year"   3:28
9. "Dilettante"   4:03
10. "Hysterical Strength"   3:16
11. "Year of the Tiger"   3:28

Personnel

The following people contributed to Strange Mercy:[29]

  • Daniel Hart - Additional String Arrangements, Violin
  • John Congleton - Drum Programming, producer
  • McKenzie Smith - Drum Kit
  • Phil Palazzolo - Additional Woodwind Engineering
  • Brian LeBarton - Additional Keyboards
  • Lever And Beam, LLC* - Management
  • Evan Smith - Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute
  • Bobby Sparks - Synthesizer (Mini Moog, Arp), Clavinet, Electric Piano (Wurlitzer)
  • Annie Clark - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards

Charts

Chart (2011) Peak
position
Canadian Albums Chart[30] 63
UK Independent Albums[31] 19
US Billboard 200[2] 19
US Independent Albums[2] 6
Belgium Heatseekers (Flanders)[32] 6
Belgium Heatseekers (Wallonia)[33] 10

References

  1. ^ "St. Vincent Unveils New Album Details, Tour". Pitchfork Media. http://www.pitchfork.com/news/43184-st-vincent-unveils-new-album-details-tour/. Retrieved 2011-07-14. 
  2. ^ a b c Strange Mercy - St. Vincent. Billboard.com. Retrieved 22 September 2011
  3. ^ a b Critic Review for Strange Mercy at Metacritic. Metacritic. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  4. ^ a b Petrusich, Amanda. Interviews: St. Vincent. Pitchfork Media. 6 September 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  5. ^ a b c O' Neal, Sean. Interview: St. Vincent. The A.V. Club. 15 September 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  6. ^ Comaratta, Len. Interview: Annie Clark (of St. Vincent). Consequence of Sound. 3 November 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2011
  7. ^ a b Klausner, Julie. The Style Issue: St. Vincent. Spin. 14 August 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  8. ^ "Twitter / st vincent: Did I mention I'm working". Twitter.com. http://twitter.com/st_vincent/status/25207853732077568. Retrieved 2011-07-06. 
  9. ^ Hopkins, Daniel (2011-03-02). "Between Production Work With St. Vincent and David Byrne, Paper Chase Mastermind John Congleton Launches New Band Nighty Night - Dallas Music - DC9 At Night". Blogs.dallasobserver.com. http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/dc9/2011/03/john_congleton_works_with_st_v.php. Retrieved 2011-07-06. 
  10. ^ "Thrilling, Unnerving" St. Vincent To Release New Album 'Strange Mercy' Sept 13 Via 4AD. Shore Fire Media. 2 June 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  11. ^ Tweet #strangemercy to help unlock a St. Vincent track. ilovestvincent.com. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  12. ^ Fitzmaurice, Larry. New St. Vincent: "Surgeon". Pitchfork Media. 22 July 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  13. ^ Fitzmaurice, Larry. Video: St. Vincent: "Cruel". Pitchfork Media. 25 August 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  14. ^ Clark, Annie. The Premiere of 'Cruel': Getting Buried Alive on Camera (EXCLUSIVE). Huffington Post. 25 August 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  15. ^ a b c Greene, David. For St. Vincent, Music Is The Easy Part. NPR. 15 September 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2011
  16. ^ Katzif, Michael. First Listen: St. Vincent, 'Strange Mercy'. NPR. 4 September 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  17. ^ Phares, Heather. Strange Mercy - St. Vincent. Allmusic. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  18. ^ Adams, Erik. St Vincent: Strange Mercy. The A.V. Club. 13 September 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  19. ^ a b Wallace, Wyndham. St. Vincent Strange Mercy Review. BBC Music. 1 September 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  20. ^ Kivel, Adam. Album Review: St. Vincent – Strange Mercy. Consequence of Sound. 9 September 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  21. ^ Nicholson, Rebecca. St Vincent: Strange Mercy – review. The Guardian. 8 September 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  22. ^ Woodcraft, Molloy. St Vincent: Strange Mercy – review. The Observer. 11 September 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
  23. ^ a b Dombal, Ryan. St Vincent: Strange Mercy – review. Pitchfork. 13 September 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  24. ^ a b Pan, Arnold. St. Vincent: Strange Mercy. Popmatters. 12 September 2011. Retrieved September 2011.
  25. ^ a b Carnwath, Ally. Q, November 2011 #303 issue. Review NEW ALBUMS, p.128. Uneasy listening from honey-tongued, dark-hearted singer.
  26. ^ a b Anderson, Stacey. St. Vincent 'Strange Mercy'. Spin. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  27. ^ Liedel, Kevin. St. Vincent: Strange Mercy. Slant Magazine. 12 September 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
  28. ^ Adams, Sean. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy. Drowned in Sound. 13 September 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  29. ^ a b St. Vincent - Strange Mercy (CD, Album). Discogs. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
  30. ^ Canoe - Jam! Music SoundScan Charts. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  31. ^ UK Independent Albums Chart 24th Sept 2011. Theofficialcharts.com. Retrieved 3 October 2011
  32. ^ "ultratop.be/nl - St. Vincent - Strange Mercy". Ultratop 50. Hung Medien. http://www.ultratop.be/nl/showitem.asp?interpret=St%2E+Vincent&titel=Strange+Mercy&cat=a. Retrieved 12 October 2011. 
  33. ^ "ultratop.be/fr - St. Vincent - Strange Mercy". Ultratop 40. Hung Medien. http://www.ultratop.be/fr/showitem.asp?interpret=St%2E+Vincent&titel=Strange+Mercy&cat=a. Retrieved 12 October 2011. 

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Strange fits of passion have I known — STRANGE FITS OF PASSION HAVE I KNOWNStrange fits of passion have I known: And I will dare to tell, But in the Lover s ear alone, What once to me befell. When she I loved looked every day Fresh as a rose in June, I to her cottage bent my way,… …   Wikipedia

  • Mercy Brown — Mercy Lena Brown (Exeter, Rhode Island, EUA,1873 1892) fue una joven fallecida a causa de la tuberculosis pulmonar y que por sospechas de haberse convertido en un vampiro su cuerpo fue exhumado el 18 de marzo de 1892 en el cementerio de Chestnut… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Strange Cargo (album) — Infobox Album | Name = Strange Cargo Type = Album Artist = William Orbit Released = 1987 Recorded = Genre = Electronic/Ambient Length = 38:00 Label = I.R.S. Records Producer = William Orbit Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|2|5… …   Wikipedia

  • Kushiel's Mercy — infobox Book | name = Kushiel s Mercy title orig = translator = image caption = Kushiel s Mercy Cover Art author = Jacqueline Carey cover artist = Cheryl Griesbach and Stanley Martucci country = United States language = English series = Imriel… …   Wikipedia

  • No Mercy (T.I. album) — No Mercy Studio album by T.I. Released December 7, 2010 …   Wikipedia

  • Sisters of Mercy —     Sisters of Mercy     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Sisters of Mercy     A congregation of women founded in Dublin, Ireland, in 1827, by Catherine Elizabeth McAuley, born 29 September, 1787, at Stormanstown House, County Dublin. Descended from an… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? — Directed by Anthony Newley Produced by George Fowler Anthony Newley Written by Anthony Newley Herman Raucher …   Wikipedia

  • The Best of Strange Cargos — Infobox Album | Name = The Best of Strange Cargos Type = Compilation Album Artist = William Orbit Released = February 20, 1996 Recorded = 1983 1993 Genre = Electronic/Ambient Length = 72:22 Label = I.R.S. Records Producer = William Orbit Reviews …   Wikipedia

  • Time for Mercy — Infobox Album | Name = Time for Mercy Type = Album Artist = Jann Arden Released = 1993 Recorded = ??? Genre = Adult Alternative Length = 50:42 Label = A M Producer = Ed Cherney Reviews = *Allmusic (3/5) [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg… …   Wikipedia

  • Quality of Mercy (The Outer Limits) — Infobox Television episode Title = Quality of Mercy Series = The Outer Limits Caption = Skokes and Cadet Tristan Season = 1 Episode = 14 Airdate = 16 June, 1995 Production = 14 Writer = Brad Wright Director = Brad Turner Photographer = Guests =… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”