Critiques CD: St. Vincent | Strange Mercy

Annie Clark’s new effort is a commanding achievement in her innovative songwriting style, pairing her polished, Snow White vocals with euphonies of her offbeat, neurotic style of guitar-playing, juxtaposing crystalline aural beauty with a strong undercurrent of malaise. Each lyric feels meticulously crafted – in “Cruel,” Clark sings matter-of-factly, “they could take or leave you, so they took you and they left you” – or culled from curious sources, such as “Chloe in the Afternoon,” named and inspired by the 1972 film, and “Surgeon,” inspired by an excerpt from Marilyn Monroe’s diaries. Undoubtedly St. Vincent’s finest creation to date.