Image source: GQ
It’s been a hot minute since Annie Clark, more famously known as St. Vincent, has released yet another artistically satisfying album. To the dedicated fans of her work, it’s nearly been eons since they’ve listened to any new stuff from the Indie Art Rock artist. Over the course of five albums, St. Vincent has drastically shown the vast spectrum of artistry she’s capable of, and with her latest release, it has become all the more apparent.
There is always a gut-wrenching amount of emotional depth in St. Vincent’s releases, and her latest album, Daddy’s Home, is no different. After officially teasing the album on street posters splayed across social media, and an enticing teaser posted on her YouTube, the proverbial daddy has finally come home, and it’s an album that’s packed with sheer auditory bliss that one can expect from St. Vincent.
Much like most of her discography, Daddy’s Home is full of torment-adjacent lyrics leading with the iconic Pay Your Way in Pain that really hammers in the album’s sonic and lyrical feel. Throughout the entire record, St. Vincent deftly contemplates parenthood, staying true to the album’s title.
St. Vincent displays a much looser side of her in Daddy’s Home as she takes a trip down memory lane with her 70s-inspired sixth album. The album is riddled with soulfully rich vocals with the humming cacophony of organs and horns. In the track My Baby Wants A Baby, she tells the story of a woman lamenting the void in her life caused by an absentee father.
Perhaps, she is putting her worst possible self forward as she tormentedly cries out, “My baby wants a baby, the one that plays guitar all day and microwaves every meal; the one that might not be there all the time, like her own daddy wasn’t.” It’s such a tearfully gut-wrenching lyric that reminds us of the many ways a parent could leave a child woefully scarred.
Annie Clark has been known for her pitch-black and wry delivery as she playfully notes that “If life’s a joke, then I’m dying laughing,” in The Laughing Man, a track that immediately follows the first of three humming interludes.
According to a press release, St. Vincent began writing some Daddy’s Home songs in winter 2019. This date coincides with the time of her father’s release from prison after being incarcerated for nine whole years. The album was produced in collaboration with Jack Antonoff. In addition to the powerhouse duo, the record also features remarkable performances from Cian Riordan, Evan Smith, Sam KS, Greg Leisz, Daniel Hart, Michael Leonhard, Lynne Fiddmont, and Kenya Hathaway.
Not since 2017’s MASSEDUCTION has Clark woefully captivated her audience with dark tales of honesty, grit, and full artistic merit. It is a story about her own father and how she has perceived the entire experience of her father coming back home. Much like many artists, Daddy’s Home is a personal expression of Clark’s real-life experiences. It is a reflection of her side of the story, and it’s definitely a ride worth getting on from start to finish.
References:
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-57026926
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/9569853/st-vincent-interview-eras-daddys-home/
https://pitchfork.com/news/st-vincent-details-new-album-daddys-home-shares-video-for-new-song-watch/
