Hear Me Out: St. Vincent, "Prince Johnny"

By Courtesy Renata Raksha/the artist

Idiosyncratic indie pop is a dangerous game, where credibility is measured in equal parts inaccessibility and obscurity. Artists are expected to succeed in spite of themselves, with recognition and remuneration coming as unexpected artifacts of a loftier pursuit. A melody too catchy or a beat too regular smacks of pandering, and often indie artists overcompensate by steeping their work in esoteric musical devices, burying expression beneath clumsy posturing.

Annie Clark, better known by her stage name St. Vincent, has always artfully tightrope-walked across the red string tangled throughout the indie genre, etching a purposefully unique sonic silhouette while never allowing her quirks to overshadow her music. St. Vincent’s latest single,  “Prince Johnny,” off of her upcoming self-titled album, stands as another example of this careful exercise in musical personality. While never compromising her music’s immediate and earnest appeal, Clark deftly weaves elements of funk and jazz into a background of drum machine and keyboard. The instrumentation remains unusual enough to unbalance any complacent listeners, but Clark’s relaxed vocals and signature guitar work serve to anchor the song firmly as a St. Vincent production. In the outro, she plucks a surprisingly crunchy guitar riff to accompany her affective crooning, creating her characteristic blend of baroque vocals and funk instrumentals.

St. Vincent comes with an impressive pedigree, having played with both The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens, but her solo work stands out in its self-assuredness. Clark doesn’t sound like she has anyone to impress and never tries harder than she has to—“Prince Johnny” feels more like a conversation than a lecture.

“St. Vincent” is out on Feb. 25 via Loma Vista/Republic in the United States.

—Staff writer Alexander Tang can be reached at alexander.tang@thecrimson.com.