Actor
Delicate woodwinds and Disney-inspired orchestration suddenly shattered by jagged, fuzz-drenched guitar explosions. A masterpiece of suburban anxiety.
Delicate woodwinds and Disney-inspired orchestration suddenly shattered by jagged, fuzz-drenched guitar explosions. A masterpiece of suburban anxiety.
Creative breakthrough
Sweet woodwinds and Technicolor Disney strings swell like a mid-century film score, only to be ripped apart by jagged, fuzz-drenched guitar snarls. You are dropped into a manicured suburbia where the lawns are too green and the tension is suffocating. It feels like watching a classic movie with the sound muted.
By pulling back into a more restrained medium energy, the arrangements allow the delicate woodwinds and cinematic flourishes room to breathe before the sudden bursts of guitar noise shatter the quiet.
Broadly admired for its meticulous craft, the album was warmly received by critics who appreciated its balance of polished pop songwriting and unpredictable electronic textures. Many found a compelling tension in the way the record's silky, inviting melodies gracefully temper its darker and droller undercurrents.
“Silky vocals, like a prog-pop Judy Garland, are a guiding light through mazes of Of Montreal-ish synth-weirdness and Flaming Lips-esque odysseys.”Read review
“Her style is melodic and controlled, conjuring abrasive textures that nevertheless have a clean, meticulous quality that complements her immaculate arrangements as well as her characters’ temperate demeanor.”Read review
“Clark’s ability to imbed the organic within the mechanized is what makes these songs distinctly hers, but she isn’t content to hide in the noise. She plays some of these songs are straight pop, and proves herself a stunning songwriter.”
“Beneath the plushness of her terrific second album there are drolleries, black humor, a cosmopolitan’s jaundiced take on romance.”
“For all the darkness of Actor’s concerns, it remains an exceptionally pleasurable album to listen to.”Read review
“An unpredictable and addictive record which should cement St Vincent’s burgeoning reputation as an unnaturally talented songwriter.”
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