Actor (album)

{{Infobox album

| name = Actor

| type = studio

| artist = St. Vincent

| cover = St. Vincent - Actor.jpg

| alt = Three-quarter angle profile of St. Vincent wearing a yellow shirt against an orange background

| released = May 4, 2009

| recorded =

| venue =

| studio = {{hlist|Elmwood Studio|The Track Studio {{small|(Plano, Texas)}}}}

| genre = {{hlist|Baroque pop{{cite web|url=http://www.spin.com/2009/04/st-vincent-actor-4ad/|title=St. Vincent, 'Actor' (4AD)|website=Spin|accessdate=13 February 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/st-vincent-strange-mercy|title=St. Vincent - Strange Mercy|website=Clash|date=5 September 2011 |accessdate=19 February 2016}}|indie pop{{cite web|url=https://www.boston.com/ae/music/cd_reviews/articles/2009/05/04/st_vincent_actor/|title=St. Vincent, 'Actor'|work=The Boston Globe|accessdate=13 February 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/st-vincent-strange-mercy|title=St. Vincent Strange Mercy|website=Slant|date=12 September 2011 |accessdate=19 February 2016}}|progressive pop{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/10401|title=Album review: St Vincent|work=NME|date=28 April 2009 |accessdate=13 February 2016}}|art pop{{cite web|url=http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/strange_mercy/|title=St. Vincent: Strange Mercy (4AD)|website=Under The Radar|accessdate=19 February 2016}}}}

| length = 39:09

| label = 4AD

| producer = {{hlist|John Congleton|Annie Clark}}

| prev_title = Marry Me

| prev_year = 2007

| next_title = Strange Mercy

| next_year = 2011

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Actor

| type = studio

| single1 = Actor Out of Work

| single1date = April 20, 2009

| single2 = Marrow

| single2date = November 2, 2009

}}

}}

Actor is the second studio album by musician St. Vincent, released by 4AD on May 4, 2009, in the United Kingdom and a day later in the United States. The artist was influenced by scores to films by Disney and Woody Allen.{{cite magazine |last=Ayers |first=Michael D. |date=April 22, 2009 |title=Acting Out |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/268838/st-vincents-annie-clark-acts-out-for-second-album |magazine=Billboard |volume=121 |issue=16 |accessdate=January 18, 2014}} To prevent writer's block, she watched films without the sound and composed music for her favorite scenes.{{cite journal |last=Rao |first=Priya |date=April 20, 2009 |title=St. Vincent's Grand Ambitions |url=http://www.wwd.com/eye/people/saintly-pop-catching-up-with-st-vincent-2108843 |journal=Women's Wear Daily |volume=197 |issue=83 |accessdate=January 18, 2014}} After arranging the music using GarageBand, she then wrote lyrics and added gentle vocal melodies.

Actor was promoted on the Actor Tour, with concerts in North America, Europe and Asia between February 2009 and December 2010.

Background

:{{quote|"This was the first record I worked on with John Congleton. I started it with another producer, but things just went horribly wrong so I called John. I'd spent a long, long time on all of these tracks, all of these beautiful wind and string passages that I was trying to make into songs. I called John and said, 'You know what? I think I need to try again with these songs… I think that if I'm not careful, I'll be making the soundtrack to The Lion King, so can we just rethink this?' I went in and basically re-recorded everything but the wind and strings. It was definitely an eleventh-hour thing, with John and I together in the studio saving the record. When I was writing it, I was watching a lot of films – Disney films from the '30s and '40s. I was going for Technicolor on that record, and luckily we saved it from being the last record I ever made. The way it had been going, I'm not sure if anyone would've given it a listen. John's sonic power is strong and contagious – and, because we were already friends, I felt very comfortable with him. We were able to go about making a record with no ego or strange human relationships. We could be clearheaded about the songs and the best way to present them with the arrangements." – Annie Clark{{cite journal|first= Tom |last= Pinnock |title= Album by Album: St Vincent |journal= Uncut |date= January 2015 |page= 54}}}}

Reception

{{Album reviews

| ADM = 7.4/10{{cite web|url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/52/St-Vincent-Actor.aspx|title=Actor by St Vincent reviews|website=AnyDecentMusic?|accessdate=January 8, 2020}}

| MC = 81/100{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/actor/st-vincent|title=Reviews for Actor by St. Vincent|website=Metacritic|accessdate=February 13, 2016}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/actor-mw0000815466|title=Actor – St. Vincent|website=AllMusic|accessdate=January 18, 2014|last=Phares|first=Heather}}

| rev2 = The A.V. Club

| rev2Score = A−{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/articles/st-vincent,27535/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090508061143/http://www.avclub.com/articles/st-vincent%2C27535/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 8, 2009|title=St. Vincent: Actor|work=The A.V. Club|date=May 5, 2009|accessdate=January 18, 2014|last=O'Neal|first=Sean}}

| rev3 = Blender

| rev3Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=http://www.blender.com/guide/new/77185/actor.html|title=St. Vincent: Actor|work=Blender|accessdate=May 25, 2016|last=Eells|first=Josh|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501134405/http://www.blender.com/guide/new/77185/actor.html|archivedate=May 1, 2009}}

| rev4 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev4Score = A{{cite magazine|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2009/05/06/actor|title=Actor|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=May 6, 2009|accessdate=January 18, 2014|last=Vozick-Levinson|first=Simon}}

| rev5 = NME

| rev5Score = 6/10{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/10401|title=Album review: St Vincent|work=NME|date=April 28, 2009|accessdate=May 25, 2016|last=Mackay|first=Emily|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160623172404/http://www.nme.com/reviews/10401|archivedate=June 23, 2016}}

| rev6 = Pitchfork

| rev6Score = 8.5/10{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12985-actor/|title=St. Vincent: Actor|work=Pitchfork|date=May 5, 2009|accessdate=January 18, 2014|last=Perpetua|first=Matthew}}

| rev7 = Q

| rev7Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite journal|title=St. Vincent: Actor|journal=Q|issue=275|date=June 2009|page=131}}

| rev8 = Rolling Stone

| rev8Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/27796934/review/27809840/actor|title=Actor : St. Vincent|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=May 1, 2009|accessdate=May 25, 2016|last=Rosen|first=Jody|author-link=Jody Rosen|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090509092839/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/27796934/review/27809840/actor|archivedate=May 9, 2009}}

| rev9 = Spin

| rev9Score = 8/10{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rwcxxhbc_kYC&pg=PA92|title=Dark Sweet Lady|journal=Spin|volume=25|issue=5|date=May 2009|accessdate=May 25, 2016|last=Suarez|first=Jessica|page=92}}

| rev10 = Uncut

| rev10Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite journal|title=St. Vincent: Actor|journal=Uncut|issue=145|date=June 2009|page=103}}

}}

The album received wide critical acclaim. In the 2009 Pazz & Jop albums survey, Actor ranked twelfth,{{cite web |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/pazznjop/albums/2009/ |title=New York Pazz And Jop Albums |date=2010 |website=The Village Voice |accessdate=January 18, 2014}} and most of the songs on it received mentions for the singles survey.{{cite web |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/pazznjop/singles/2009/ |title=New York Pazz And Jop Singles |date=2010 |website=The Village Voice |accessdate=January 18, 2014}} Pitchfork gave the album an 8.5/10 rating and a "Best New Music" tag, praising the concept and describing the sound as "melodic and controlled, conjuring abrasive textures that nevertheless have a clean, meticulous quality that complements her immaculate arrangements." It later placed Actor number 13 on its year-end list of albums,{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7744-the-top-50-albums-of-2009/4/ |title=The Top 50 Albums of 2009 |last=Klein |first=Josh |date=December 17, 2009 |work=Pitchfork |accessdate=January 18, 2014 |archive-date=September 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140926080502/http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7744-the-top-50-albums-of-2009/4/ |url-status=dead }} and "Actor Out of Work" ranked number 52 on its list of the year's top tracks.{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7742-the-top-100-tracks-of-2009/5/ |title=The Top 100 Tracks of 2009 |last=Wolk |first=Douglas |date=December 14, 2009 |work=Pitchfork |accessdate=January 18, 2014}} Pitchfork included "The Strangers" at number 492 on its list of the top tracks of the 2000s.{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7685-the-top-500-tracks-of-the-2000s-500-201/ |title=The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s: 500-201 |date=August 17, 2009 |work=Pitchfork |accessdate=January 18, 2014}}

The A.V. Club{{'s}} review called the album a departure from St. Vincent's debut, noting an absence of "the coy, conventional pop winks of Marry Me; even Actor{{'}}s lovelier moments come tinged with down-the-rabbit-hole danger." Clark has "found her own voice—and it's one you wouldn't want reading your kids any bedtime stories."

Other reviewers, such as Entertainment Weekly and AllMusic, praised the album's contrast of melodic pop and distorted guitars with dark lyrics. PopMatters listed Actor number 26 on its list of the year's best albums.{{cite web |url=https://www.popmatters.com/feature/117680-best-60-albums-of-2009/P3/ |title=The Best 60 Albums of 2009 |last=Huff |first=Quentin |date=December 17, 2009 |website=PopMatters |accessdate=January 18, 2014}}

Commercial performance

As of July 2011, Actor has sold 59,000 copies in US.{{cite magazine | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qbr6WdsnLzQC&q=akon&pg=RA7-PA59| title=Most Anticipated| publisher=Billboard| magazine=Billboard | date=30 July 2011| accessdate=5 November 2018}}

Singles

The first single released was "Actor Out of Work" that April.{{cite web | url=https://pitchfork.com/news/34661-st-vincent-announces-new-album-iactori/ | title= St. Vincent Announces New Album: Actor | website=Pitchfork Media | accessdate = 2009-04-21| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090408171848/http://pitchfork.com/news/34661-st-vincent-announces-new-album-iactori/| archivedate= 8 April 2009 | url-status= live}} It featured "Bicycle" as a B-side. The music video for "Actor Out of Work" was premiered April 10, 2009 on Spinner. In it, Clark auditions a series of actors who begin sobbing in front of her.{{cite journal |last=Ryzik |first=Melena |date=May 7, 2009 |title=I Like Things That Are Unsettling |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/07/arts/music/07vince.html |journal=The New York Times |page=C1 |accessdate=January 18, 2014}}

The video for "Laughing with a Mouth of Blood" features Clark with comedy duo ThunderAnt as owners of a feminist bookstore.{{cite web |url=http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2010/02/new_st_vincent.php |title=New St. Vincent Video: 'Laughing With a Mouth of Blood,' Featuring Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein |last=Baron |first=Zach |date=February 4, 2010 |work=The Village Voice |accessdate=January 18, 2014}}

Track listing

All tracks written and arranged by Annie Clark.

{{tracklist

| headline = Actor {{nobold|– Standard edition}}

|title1= The Strangers

|length1= 4:05

|title2= Save Me from What I Want

|length2= 3:35

|title3= The Neighbors

|length3= 3:31

|title4= Actor Out of Work

|length4= 2:15

|title5= Black Rainbow

|length5= 4:11

|title6= Laughing with a Mouth of Blood

|length6= 3:02

|title7= Marrow

|length7= 3:24

|title8= The Bed

|length8= 3:43

|title9= The Party

|length9= 4:05

|title10= Just the Same but Brand New

|length10= 5:24

|title11= The Sequel

|length11= 1:54

|total_length = 39:09

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Actor {{nobold|– iTunes edition}}

| title8 = Oh My God

| length8 = 4:29

| title9 = The Bed

| length9 = 3:43

| title10 = The Party

| length10 = 4:05

| title11 = Just the Same but Brand New

| length11 = 5:24

| title12 = The Sequel

| length12 = 1:54

| total_length = 43:34

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Actor {{nobold|– Amazon edition}}

| title12 = Bicycle

| length12 = 3:19

| total_length = 42:23

}}

Notes

  • On the album’s vinyl release, "The Sequel" is moved to the end of side A, following "Black Rainbow".

Personnel

Musicians

{{div col}}

{{div col end}}

Production

{{div col}}

  • John Congleton – production, recording, mixing
  • Annie Clark – production, additional recording
  • Greg Calbi – mastering
  • Scott Solter – additional recording
  • Annabel Mehran – photography
  • Lever and Beam – management

{{div col end}}

Charts

class="wikitable"
Chart (2009)

!Peak
position

UK Albums Chart[http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK2009.HTM Chart Log UK – Chart Coverage and Record Sales 2009 and Special Single-File Version]. Zobbel.de. Retrieved on 2010-11-30.

| style="text-align:center;"|161

U.S. Billboard 200[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=st. vincent|chart=all}} St. Vincent], Billboards.com, May 23, 2009

| style="text-align:center;"|90

U.S. Alternative Albums

| style="text-align:center;"|20

U.S. Independent Albums

| style="text-align:center;"|9

U.S. Rock Albums[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=st. vincent|chart=Rock Albums}} St. Vincent], Billboards.com, May 23, 2009

| style="text-align:center;"|48

References

{{Reflist}}