St. Vincent

Admittedly, what first intrigued me about St. Vincent was her video for “Actor Out of Work” and how I was convinced it was meant to be a take on Helena Bonham Carter’s portrayal of Marla Singer in Fight Club participating in some kind of self-help group the character is so fond of. Of course, I came to this conclusion having only seen the video on mute and never having heard or seen St. Vincent prior to that. Then I actually turned the volume on. And I was pleasantly charmed. Though that single is a bit of an emotional downer and could in actuality be the soundtrack to the life of any of Chuck Palahniuk’s desolate and morally ambiguous characters, the rest of the Brooklyn songstress’ work creates a very different mood. A master at using vocal layers to create an aural atmosphere, St. Vincent’s delicate crooning pulls in old-timey classical instrumentation and mixes it with modern beats and orchestration for a coolness that only a native New Yorker can bring to the stage. Kind of like if Regina Spektor wasn’t brutal and unbearable to listen to these days. - Brien Overly