St. Vincent

Singer/songwriter/guitar-shredder Annie Clark's fourth studio album as St. Vincent is, simply, her best yet. While her catalog is full of twists and turns (including the 2013 David Byrne collaboration <i>Love This Giant</i>), this self-titled release is both audacious <i>and</i> accessible, a canny balancing of Clark's experimental leanings with her pop sensibility. Amid a flurry of sonic textures—from the clamoring horn section of "Digital Witness" to the subdued balladry of "Prince Johnny"—Clark critiques our technology-obsessed culture ("Huey Newton"), satirizes suburban ennui ("Birth in Reverse") and shares about her love for her mother ("I Prefer Your Love"). Her anxieties laid bare, the songwriter asserts herself via pyrotechnic guitar riffs, rhythmic somersaults and a wayfaring vocal range, resulting in a vertiginous set that's as dizzying as it is captivating.