There’s been considerable excitement building around St Vincent’s fifth album for a while now – and that was before our own chief pop critic Alexis Petridis awarded it a perfect five star review.



As reassuringly skewed as previous St Vincent releases, this time Annie Clark seems to have managed to align her peculiarity with striking pop melodies. There are songs on here that sound like Madonna (I Prefer Your Love) or mimic the taut, paranoid funk of Talking Heads (Digital Witness).





“The music here feels taut and meticulous, devoid of self-indulgence,” raves Petridis, before going on to conclude: “Bold, poised, precise without sounding sterile, St Vincent seems to be a straightforward triumph.”



An early contender for album of the year? Have a listen using our exclusive player and let us know your thoughts in the comments!