Actor

Does anyone else notice that Vincent's right shoulder is missing, or is it just me?

So I wasn't really planning on reviewing anymore St. Vincent albums, but shit if Godga says I need to listen to Actor, then I have to do it, and I'm glad I did. For an album released 15 years ago, Actor hasn't aged badly at all, which is pretty insane since most albums and songs from this era sound almost unlistenable. But with Actor, if you told me this was released this year, I wouldn't bat an eye. It sounds amazing, which is honestly surprising. I also agree with Host's review. It's pretty poppy and has a lot for great melodies, but like the album cover, something is off. In a way, it feels uncanny. Like I should be familiar with these sounds, but something just isn't right. Whether done purposely or not, it sounds great, and it gives a uniqueness to Actor that you don't really feel in other albums released in the 2000s. The Strangers is a track that perfectly showcases this album's unique sound. It starts off as some Disney musical, sounding like something straight from Bambi, but then it switches to this guitar section. It's simple but still great, and Vincent, even during this time, sounds like an angel. But as we get to the halfway point, it completely does a 180° and becomes this all-out rock song while still having this Disney ass instrumentation in the background. It sounds so weird, and that's what makes this track so good. Also, I didn't know Kid Cudi sampled this track. You remember when Kid Cudi was good? I do, too. Anyways, Save Me from What I Want is another incredible track that switches up the album to indie rock. It's pretty straightforward, but it still has this off element that I can't describe. Either way, it sounds great, and Vincent's tender singing sounds gorgeous. Now that I think about it, I think it's the soft instrumentation and vocals mixed with these hard and distorted drums that make the track feel uncanny, but who knows. Actor Out of Work, while pretty short, it this great indie rock track that doesn't feel as off as the rest of the album. Although that weird distorted ass noise is pretty creepy, but other than that, this track is pretty pleasant. The Bed, in my opinion, is the most Björk sounding track on the album, which is pretty apparent in the instrumentation, sounding like something from Fossora or Utopia, although this came out 8 years after Vespertine, so it's probably the other way around. But anyways, The Bed is an absolutely beautiful track. It's just nothing but stunning and beautiful instrumentation and incredible vocals from Vincent. But looking at the lyrics, this track starts to get uncomfortable, especially when she says something like, "Don't scream." Why? You're just making me more scared. The last track, The Sequel, ends off the album beautifully while still making me feel uneasy. The instrumentation is pretty relaxing and comforting, but man, the lyrics. Also, I think this is the first time she curses on the album, so this track just ends up feeling more unsettling, obviously in a good way. Overall, great album. I'll probably need to give Actor more listens before I can fully appreciate the album, but even then, I still enjoyed it. The instrumentation is beautiful and hard hitting, and Vincent's vocals and lyrics give a beautiful uncannyness to the whole experience. So glad I checked this album out