Annie Clark has always given the indie world delicious, complex melodies blended smoothly with stunning instrumentals. it seems with every Annie Clark has always given the indie world delicious, complex melodies blended smoothly with stunning instrumentals. it seems with every album she gets better and better though, paving her way as one of those rare 21st century artists who has established a deep-rooted legacy already before their 40s. Masseduction, her second finest album (self-titled is my fav), feels exhilarating on first listen, with its ever fabulous flourishes of Clark-characteristic guitar licks and humid synths. on her last album, Clark pretty much ditched the baroque pop sensibilities of her first three solo albums, and here she ups the ante even further with soul-fueled glam rock. if there was ever any anxiety that she might have lost a spark since her self-titled album, its immediately shut down by the first two songs here.

first we got some fuzzy and uplifting art rock with astonishing opener Hang on Me. the second track, Pills, is a progressive glam rock early standout. this absolute banger starts a verse-chorus structure with a late 60s tv jingle type chorus that is a bit unsettling with its recalling of all things pills can help with in a day-to-day context. 2 minutes and 50 seconds in is when the song really moves the listener, with a Bewlay Brothers-reminiscent guitar outro. the fun has only just started though. other highlights include: Savior, an irresistibly funky space-age sex jam; Los Ageless, a dance-rock banger with instantly memorable riffs, impressive vocals and an outro slightly redolent of Lorde's Supercut (both were co-produced by Jack Antonoff); the glitchy, manic Fear the Future; and of course the epic, emotive closer, Smoking Section, a glam waltz with haunting, atmospheric harmonies.

this is really everything 2017 needed in music and more. a 21st century glam rock masterpiece. thank you St. Vincent, we love you so much. … Expand