St. Vincent has come back with latest album, All Born Screaming. Her first album since 2021, the legendary guitarist takes center stage with 10 songs. Inspirations of 70s and 80s analogue synths along with the characteristic frenetic guitar playing known at the time mark the central theme of the album. St. Vincent brings listeners an elevated version of her latest body of work, a self-proclaimed “darker” album, compared to her last.
“I needed to go deeper in finding my own sonic vocabulary. I like to think of [the record] as post-plague pop, it’s a lot about heaven and hell – the metaphorical kinds. Which is appropriate, because sitting alone in a studio for that many hours I would say is a version of hell… This record is darker and harder and more close to the bone. I’d say it’s my least funny record yet! There’s nothing cute about it.”
St. Vincent, Mojo Magazine
“Hell Is Near” is the opening track for the album. An ethereal beast of an experience, St. Vincent utilizes her masterful guitar playing, reminding us why she’s one of the best guitarists of this generation.
Noticeably, this album is the first time St. Vincent has solely produced her album. Previous records showed St. Vincent in co-production credits along with Jack Antonoff but felt it was necessary this time to dive into the underbelly of her experiments with a solo endeavor. “Hell Is Near” shows just that, with a funk-folk track that starts our descent into heaven and hell.
“Reckless” is a discernable shift from the previous track, taking a slower route for the song. Almost as if the listener is sinking down into hell after overstaying their welcome in Purgatory, St. Vincent invites choral singing and eerie instrumentals to welcome us into her album.
“Broken Man” is a funkier song compared to the previous two, creeping on pop-rock elements. The lead single off her album, released in February before the album drop, sparks attention for its eclectic production style. Lyrically, she draws comparisons of herself and her partner to Jesus Christ, begging them to nail themselves next to her with the same devotion she possesses. Starting to show her heaven and hell inspirations, the album starts to get to the gritty parts St. Vincent previously warned.
“Flea” is the second single to be released before the album release. Continuing her biblical exploration, the album makes reference to Samson, a hero who was betrayed by a Philistine woman named Delilah, and lost all the strength he accumulated due to her manipulation. She compares herself to Delilah in the same vein she refers to herself as a flea: a parasitic animal that you can’t get rid of no matter how hard you try.
“Big Time Nothing” is her third single, continuing her momentum from the last two singles. With contradictory lyrics depicting an inner monologue, she states from an interview with NME that the song is about the conflicting voice depression and anxiety manifest in our depiction. With lyrics such as,
“Don’t blink, don’t wait, don’t walk, you’re late
Don’t fall from grace, behave
Don’t trip, sashay
Okay, sashay
Don’t kid, don’t blame, don’t snap, insane
Don’t crack, don’t act your age”
She invites us into her cynical stream of consciousness, all over an upbeat groove-filled rhythm, once again counteracting with the self-deprecating lyrics.
It’s hard to ignore the reference to SOPHIE on “Sweetest Fruit,” a song dedicated to the passing of the legendary producer, with St. Vincent’s opening lyrics,
“My SOPHIE climbed the roof
To get a better view of the moon
Moon
My God, then one wrong step
Took her down to the depths”
She goes on to reference another queer figure, Daniel Sotomayor, continuing the song’s exploration of lamenting the passing of creators she admires.
“All Born Screaming,” the closer to the album, features the first and last singer on the album, Cate Le Bon. Providing background vocals and helping tie the song together with her interpretive bass playing, the two collaborate on the massive culmination of St. Vincent’s first venture with an epic coup de grâce.
St. Vincent has graced us with a possible album of the year contender, all while making her sole production credit debut. The past 3 years were spent dutifully, showing us the true talent of Anne Clark, and only leaving us wanting more. If you want to hear more from St. Vincent, make sure to follow her Instagram, Spotify, and Apple Music.