Mistrust and doom have coloured St. Vincent‘s newest songs. It’s not exactly a fresh perspective for Annie Clark, but it feels more immediate now, linked to today’s political climate: “Digital Witness” ranted against a world increasingly on the grid, while “Birth In Reverse” was a dispatch from an America refusing to leave its various mental comfort zones.
“Prince Johnny,” her latest song, brings memories of Actor with its dignified synthetic choirs interrupted by greasy guitar licks. It’s addressed to flawed leaders of every stripe in the form of a surreal open letter, alternating between sly damnation and advice to these heads of state and social circles. But it’s never dull or self-important, because with each condemning breath she also admits that she’s still caught in their trap too.
