Annie Clark’s 7th studio album features less screaming than one would think.
St. Vincent is on a hot streak. Recently, she collaborated with artists on chart-topping hits like Olivia Rodrigo’s “obsessed” and Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer.” Her last album, Daddy’s Home, took home the Grammy for Best Alternative Album in 2022, and her song “Masseduction” won Best Rock Song in 2019. Now, the legendary guitarist has returned with what is her first self-produced work: All Born Screaming.
Fans of St. Vincent know that her style is hard to define and ever-shifting; each album introduces a new era and persona. In All Born Screaming’s first single, “Broken Man,” the artist dances in a black void while she slowly catches on fire. Dressed in a black pencil skirt and white button-up shirt, the orange flames provide the only color in the scene. This is the image she uses for the album cover: flames that both destroy and set free.
The song itself uses simple yet striking production that matches this imagery. It starts with a repeated, electronic beat that Clark sings over. Only towards the end of the second verse does the first guitar chord hit: an unexpected power chord that breaks through the noise (for the best experience, listen to this song at a loud but safe volume.) The drums have a similar moment in the song’s second half: Dave Grohl comes in with a very brief solo that brings momentum to the rest of the piece. The ending combines the guitar and drum elements into a satisfying breakdown and conclusion. For any guitar players out there, the song is easy to learn, though it uses a specific tuning: each sting is lowered by a half step, except for the low E string, which is tuned to C#. The result is that the power chords can be played by placing one finger over one fret at a time. This tuning feels like a metaphor for the song itself: an unintuitive creative choice becomes something simple and effective.
“Broken Man,” however, is one of the few songs on the album that fits neatly into the rock genre. While Clark can certainly write great pop music, her St. Vincent work tends to be more experimental. The rest of the album uses repetitive beats and lyrics like in “Broken Man,” but in a way that creates an almost hypnotic effect. The title track and final song, “All Born Screaming” featuring Cate Le Bon, has St. Vincent sing the words “All Born Screaming” over and over for the majority of the song’s nearly seven-minute runtime. The track starts with a jazzier instrumental and casual vocal performance, but after a fade out in the middle of the song, Clark returns with a pulsing electronic beat: enchanting the listener through the finale of the record. The resulting effect is something that is better experienced than described.
I am an Austin, TX based filmmaker and photographer. I moved from Houston to attend the University of Texas at Austin, where I graduated in 2022. I'm a lifelong music lover and spend most of my weekends attending shows. Some recent favorites are K. Flay, Devon Again, and Farmer's Wife. Other than that, I enjoy reading, writing, playing volleyball, yoga, and gaming.
