ST. VINCENT

All Born Screaming (Total Pleasure)

The seventh studio album by Annie ‘St. Vincent’ Clark and the first one solely produced by her, All Born Screaming is an exciting concoction of sounds and vibes. From the heavy, dark Broken Man, through the reggae-infused So Many Planets to the moody, highly stylised Violent Times, Clark has produced a fresh sounding, intriguing and fully her own record.

There are no rules here: just excitement, playfulness and good, solid sound at each turn. Clark invited Dave Grohl to bash drums on several of All Born Screaming’s songs, out of which Flea deserves a special mention. Her vocals are crisp and impressive in range – at times bringing to mind the solo work of Beth Gibbons – but the biggest strength of this record lies in its timelessness. It could have been recorded anytime in the last three decades, and yet it sounds so uniquely now, and should still play this way in years to come. Here’s to artistic freedom!

words GOSIA BUZZANCA