St. Vincent
Masseduction
[Vinyl Me Please]
Every now and then I get really excited to talk about an album and right now it’s St. Vincent’s Masseduction. Of course, it’s a really good album that everyone should hear, but it’s also an album that I wasn’t sure about at first. On the first few listens I was, quite honestly, a bit disappointed at what I was hearing. But I’m someone who trusts Annie Clarke’s music, so I persisted, and now I can truly say Masseduction has won me over.
My initial hesitation with this album was that it is arguably Annie Clarke at her least rocking. Let me explain. Masseduction is definitely caught up in its concept, and that’s sexuality for the masses. The masses unfortunately don’t know how to rock, and that reflects on this album. It’s only a shame because Clarke sure knows how to shred and dominate on the guitar. That element is sadly missed on Masseduction.
The other aspect of Masseduction that is a bit of a turnoff is that Clarke has injected a fair bit of “art” into it. One can certainly tell why she hangs out with David Byrne so much. While some might think all the visual supplements and artsy stuff adds to the Masseduction experience, I can also say that it comes across as pretentious and silly. Don’t believe me, just look up a performance of Los Ageless on any talk show.
So why do I enjoy this album so much? Well, because Masseduction‘s songs are engineered to grow on you. Its rhythm is driven by electronic sounds for sure, with Clarke’s guitar adding emphasis and embellishments. As you accept that and you open yourself up to the songs, you realize that they’re catchy as hell. Once you let your guard down, you start noticing the hidden complexities of the songs here and the subtlety of the details. Masseduction is full of highlights, like Los Ageless, Fear the Future, and Young Lover. They might not be rocking, but they’re shocking and loud as hell. In a way Masseduction does the harder thing, which is to appeal to a broader audience, and teach them a thing or two in the process. Maybe Annie Clarke is an evil genius after all.
The Vinyl Me Please edition is what we’re highlighting here, and it’s my favorite version of this album. It’s just a version that stands out, with an alternative album cover, alternative vinyl color, a 16 page lyric sheet and booklet, an exclusive iron on fabric patch, and a complimentary original artwork by Megan Bowker. Not to mention a Masseduction cocktail recipe which I’m sure will delight the right audience. Also, it’s exclusive to Vinyl Me Please subscribers, so I’m sorry to say you just might have missed out. See why you need a Vinyl Me Please membership? Make sure you don’t make the same mistake again and sign up!
You can do that here!
