All Born Screaming - St Vincent (2024)

ideated from: an inbox quickly filling with new releases I should pay some attention to

ed: I actually forgot I’d already written this up when I was going through her discography. I’ve added a few thoughts because, listening to it again I was even more impressed with this one.

St Vincent finds a new creative gear, building her production chops to capture the sound she wants in a set of brash and cutting songs.

I looked for a Reznor and Ross production credit, but she’s done this all on her own. Many of the songs are slow builds through ominous and moody haze, breaking into snarling and strutting post-industrial post-alt-rock power.

On a re-listen, I thought of the recent mini-controversy about whether Sleep Token was “heavy” enough to be hard rock. It’s a ridiculous discussion in general, but I think this St Vincent record shows that Sleep Token–like Annie–belong solidly in the conversation about what rock is going to sound like in the coming years.