St. Vincent dropped her sixth studio album, ‘Daddy’s Home,’ and it’s got a great mix of the ‘70s sound. Indie, pop-rock sensation Annie Clark delivered throughout this album from start to finish by including unexpected musical and vocal transitions that just seem so right. If you thought her fifth-studio album, ‘Masseduction,’ was a serve especially with the pop-ballad power that “Pills” holds, the sudden smooth electric guitar riff transition goes so well with Clark’s vocal range.
“Pay Your Way In Pain” starts off with a brief saloon piano blues instrumental then beautifully transitions into electro-pop with Clark’s vocal shouts. The electro-pop instrumental definitely reminds me of the beginning of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by Eurythmics because of the synth-pop, new-wave sound despite the song being released in the ‘80s. Clark definitely made this song unique with the various musical and vocal ranges.
“The Melting Of The Sun” gives off a mix of Fleetwood Mac and ABBA inspired instrumental vibe within a pop, yet also soft-rock genre. The track’s background vocals harmonizing reminded me of Fleetwood Mac’s “Hold Me” when you can hear how well they all go together, and Stevie Nicks’ lead vocals. As for the music video’s visuals, St. Vincent began with an old-school animation style that looked similar to the series, “SchoolHouse Rock.” (“Conjunction Junction,” anyone?) As Clark introduced the music video through cartoon animations, she also stars in throughout certain segments of the video with a nostalgic fashionista image of the ‘70s, and also presents trippy visuals that looked semi-similar to Tame Impala’s “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” music video towards the end. Both projects are a work of absolute art.
“Live In The Dream” was 6 minutes and 30 seconds full of a baroque pop sound with the perfect amount of both electric guitar riffs and drums. St. Vincent’s vocals were soothing and harmonious with her background singers, as it also reminded me of Lana Del Rey’s vocals and instrumentals in “West Coast.” The diverse range of emotions that St. Vincent sings throughout this song are phenomenal, and truly does not disappoint.
All in all, ‘Daddy’s Home‘ is a retro, nostalgic album that truly honors the ‘70s era in St. Vincent’s unique way.