“Strange Mercy” the third studio album from American singer songwriter St. Vincent is a highly anticipated record that meets the expectations. “Actor”, the previous record was a very good release that attracted a lot of attention because of its glossy musical arrangements and dark lyrical themes. “Strange Mercy” takes a detour from the path that was set by its predecessor, “Actor”. St. Vincent ditches the baroque strings in favor of muscular guitar arrangements that provide the backbone to most of the compositions. The straight forward approach does more with fewer tools, besides the guitar the only other instruments utilized are synths; and they do the job of filling in the empty space left between the guitar, drums and bass. “Strange Mercy” is meticulously produced, packed with subtle nuances that have the listener going back for multiple listens. Gaining something new following each subsequent spin.
Lyrically St. Vincent touches on a lot of subjects, themes and topics. She showcases her talents as a writer, spewing out some very haunting lines in addition to some heartfelt meditations. The first ballad “Strange Mercy” includes a part when she states “If I ever meet the dirty policeman who roughed you up…..No I, I don’t what”. Those lines are juxtaposed with some distorted ugly sounding guitar, setting the stage for some kind of revenge against that “dirty policeman”. It is left up to the listener to wonder what that “policeman” did to that characters “little one”, quite a disturbing thing to even think about.
The other ballad “Champagne Year” possibly the best song on the album is existentially driven. The words echo the sentiments of a person disappointed and disillusioned, almost having that “now what” moment. “But I secretly expected/ A Choir at the shore/ And Confetti through the fallen air” is the crushing realization that there is a lingering emptiness and dissatisfaction. This could be a reflection of St. Vincent or it could just be another one of her characters, but on this one, something tells me that this is partly based on her rise to fame. “Northern Lights’ appears to be about the fear of aging and death, and the attempt to resist the inevitable. Desperation is brought out by the hook which states “Gotta get young/Gotta get young quick/Gotta make this last/ If it makes me sick”. These lyrics are further enhanced by some surging strings and synths that make the moment sound as urgent as ever, racing against the ticking clock.
Other highlights on “Strange Mercy” include “Surgeon”, a sensual song that has the St. Vincent telling the partner to find a “Surgeon” since he can’t cut her open; suggesting at his sexual shortcomings. The song ends with a whizzing synthesizer solo that sounds like it belongs in the 80s. “Hysterical Strength” has a dance beat that alludes to other herky jerky artists from that same time period, a cool song that leads to the conclusion of the album. At this point I am very impressed with the way St. Vincent constructed “Strange Mercy” from start till finish. Lastly, I find it awesome that the two female singers, St. Vincent and PJ Harvey gave us some of the bleakest, and the most exhilarating musical moments of 2011 so far.
Song of the Day is St. Vincent "Cruel".
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