Strange Mercy

Strange Mercy was written in Seattle while Annie Clark spent time in isolation, an experience she described as a "loneliness experiment" and "a cleanse".Petrusich, Amanda. [https://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/8661-st-vincent/ Interviews: St. Vincent]. Pitchfork. 6 September 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2011. This was to escape from the information overload she was experiencing with New York and modern technology.Comaratta, Len. [http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/11/interview-annie-clark-of-st-vincent/ Interview: Annie Clark (of St. Vincent)]. Consequence of Sound. 3 November 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2011 Clark arrived in Seattle in October 2010, stayed at the Ace Hotel and used a studio provided by Jason McGerr.Klausner, Julie. [https://www.spin.com/2011/08/style-issue-st-vincent/?page=0%2C0 The Style Issue: St. Vincent]. Spin. 14 August 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2011.

:{{blockquote|"I read about Nick Cave's approach to songwriting and how you just have to approach it like a day job: put on a suit and trousers in aspects of it, and get to work. I figured that, in order to do that, I needed to go to a place where I wouldn't be distracted by friends or fun or anything like that. I just wanted to be alone in a little bit of isolation. So I went out to Seattle for a month and rented a studio from my friends in Death Cab for Cutie and just worked there twelve hours a day. It was a good exercise because I'd never done it so vigorously. I've always written at home, so it was nice to just go elsewhere; to have a separate space in order to be creative; and also to learn how to turn on the faucet and not judge what's coming out… I'm always just following my ears. At the end of the day, that's all you really have. That's how I've been able to develop and grow over the course of my albums. I think writer's block – this is the quote I've read – was a term invented in Los Angeles by people who don't know how to write. There are so many ways to be creative that I just don't believe in writer's block. I think that's a fundamental lack of imagination. Once, I was sort of stuck, so I just transcribed all of Madonna's first record, because I wanted to see how it worked." – Annie "St Vincent" Clark{{cite journal|first= Tom |last= Pinnock |title= Album by Album: St Vincent |journal= Uncut |date= January 2015 |pages= 54–55}}}}

The album was announced in a Twitter post on January 12, 2011.{{cite web|url=https://www.twitter.com/st_vincent/status/25207853732077568 |title=Twitter / st vincent: Did I mention I'm working |publisher=Twitter.com |date= |accessdate=2011-07-06}} In early March, producer John Congleton, who also worked with Clark on Actor (2009), commented that he and Clark were nearly a third of the way through recording the new release.{{cite web |last=Hopkins |first=Daniel |url=http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/dc9/2011/03/john_congleton_works_with_st_v.php |title=Between Production Work With St. Vincent and David Byrne, Paper Chase Mastermind John Congleton Launches New Band Nighty Night – Dallas Music – DC9 At Night |publisher=Blogs.dallasobserver.com |date=2011-03-02 |accessdate=2011-07-06 |archive-date=2011-07-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718094155/http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/dc9/2011/03/john_congleton_works_with_st_v.php |url-status=dead }} The album was recorded at Elmwood Studio in Dallas, Texas.[http://shorefire.com/index.php?a=pressrelease&o=5016 "Thrilling, Unnerving" St. Vincent To Release New Album 'Strange Mercy' Sept 13 Via 4AD]. Shore Fire Media. 2 June 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.

In July 2011, Clark announced that a track from Strange Mercy would be unlocked when enough Twitter users tweeted the hashtag "#strangemercy".[http://www.ilovestvincent.com/news/399/tweet-strangemercy-for-a-free-st-vincent-track Tweet #strangemercy to help unlock a St. Vincent track] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130126080454/http://www.ilovestvincent.com/news/399/tweet-strangemercy-for-a-free-st-vincent-track |date=2013-01-26 }}. ilovestvincent.com. Retrieved 6 September 2011. During the campaign, teaser videos for the album, which Clark described as riffing on the idea of "strange mercy", were released.O' Neal, Sean. [https://www.avclub.com/st-vincent-1798227459 Interview: St. Vincent]. The A.V. Club. 15 September 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2011. On July 22, 2011, the album track "Surgeon" was released as a free MP3 download following the Twitter campaign.Fitzmaurice, Larry. [https://pitchfork.com/news/43240-new-st-vincent-surgeon/ New St. Vincent: "Surgeon"]. Pitchfork. 22 July 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011. On August 25, 2011, a video for "Cruel" was released.Fitzmaurice, Larry. [https://pitchfork.com/news/43603-video-st-vincent-cruel/ Video: St. Vincent: "Cruel"]. Pitchfork. 25 August 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011. On September 4, 2011, Strange Mercy was streamed in its entirety on NPR Music.Katzif, Michael. [https://www.npr.org/2011/09/04/139946514/first-listen-st-vincent-strange-mercy?ps=mh_fl First Listen: St. Vincent, 'Strange Mercy']. NPR. 4 September 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.

The first music video from the album, "Cruel", was released on August 25, 2011. The music video, which featured Clark being kidnapped by a motherless family, being forced to be a wife in the family and being buried alive, was filmed around San Francisco and on Mare Island.Clark, Annie. [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/annie-clark/st-vincent-cruel_b_936089.html?ref=tw The Premiere of 'Cruel': Getting Buried Alive on Camera (EXCLUSIVE)]. Huffington Post. 25 August 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.

A second music video from the album, "Cheerleader", was released on February 7, 2012.Young, Alex. [http://consequenceofsound.net/2012/02/video-st-vincent-cheerleader/ Video: St. Vincent – "Cheerleader"]. Consequence of Sound. 7 February 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012. The video, directed by Hiro Murai, was inspired by the artwork of Ron Mueck. It featured a giant Clark tied to the center of a gallery space, surrounded by onlookers.Pelly, Jenn. [https://pitchfork.com/features/directors-cut/8779-st-vincent-cheerleader/ St. Vincent: "Cheerleader"]. Pitchfork. 27 February 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.

Strange Mercy was described as being more personal than previous St. Vincent albums. "Chloe in the Afternoon", the album's opener, explores Clark's misgivings about monogamy, particularly the societal pressures on and assumptions about human relationships. The lyrics "Best, finest surgeon. Come cut me open" in the track "Surgeon" were taken from a line written in Marilyn Monroe's journal. Clark found that line to be "brilliant and really strange", saying "And I was – I put, you know, inspiration from my own life for various situational depression or what – call it what you will. And this line, best finest surgeon, really resonated with me." The album closer "Year of the Tiger" was written about the depression Clark experienced in 2010, the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese calendar.Greene, David. [https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=140463596 For St. Vincent, Music Is The Easy Part]. NPR. 15 September 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2011 Clark did not elaborate on what caused her depression.

{{music ratings

| ADM = 8.1/10{{cite web|url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/3596/St-Vincent-Strange-Mercy.aspx|title=Strange Mercy by St Vincent reviews|website=AnyDecentMusic?|accessdate=December 25, 2019}}

| MC = 85/100{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/strange-mercy/st-vincent|title=Reviews for Strange Mercy by St. Vincent|website=Metacritic|accessdate=September 13, 2011}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/strange-mercy-mw0002166364|title=Strange Mercy – St. Vincent|website=AllMusic|accessdate=September 14, 2011|last=Phares|first=Heather}}

| rev2 = The A.V. Club

| rev2Score = A−{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/st-vincent-strange-mercy-1798169550|title=St. Vincent: Strange Mercy|work=The A.V. Club|date=September 13, 2011|access-date=September 13, 2011|last=Adams|first=Erik}}

| rev3 = The Daily Telegraph

| rev3Score = {{rating|5|5}}{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/8750887/St-Vincent-Strange-Mercy-CD-review.html|title=St Vincent: Strange Mercy, CD review|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=September 8, 2011|accessdate=September 8, 2011|last=Lachno|first=James}}

| rev4 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev4Score = A−{{cite magazine|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2011/09/16/albums-sept-23-2011|title=Albums: Sept. 23, 2011|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=September 16, 2011|accessdate=September 16, 2011|last1=Brunner|first1=Rob|last2=Anderson|first2=Kyle|last3=Wood|first3=Mikael|last4=Wete|first4=Brad}}

| rev5 = The Guardian

| rev5Score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/sep/08/st-vincent-strange-mercy-review|title=St Vincent: Strange Mercy – review|work=The Guardian|date=September 8, 2011|accessdate=September 8, 2011|last=Nicholson|first=Rebecca}}

| rev6 = Los Angeles Times

| rev6Score = {{rating|2.5|4}}{{cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/09/album-review-st-vincents-strange-mercy.html|title=Album Review: St. Vincent's 'Strange Mercy'|work=Los Angeles Times|date=September 12, 2011|accessdate=September 12, 2011|last=Wappler|first=Margaret}}

| rev7 = NME

| rev7Score = 9/10{{cite journal|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/st-vincent/12313|title=Album Review: St Vincent – 'Strange Mercy'|journal=NME|date=September 14, 2011|accessdate=September 14, 2011|last=Allen|first=Jeremy|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530174251/http://www.nme.com/reviews/st-vincent/12313|archivedate=May 30, 2016}}

| rev8 = Pitchfork

| rev8Score = 9.0/10{{cite web|url=https://www.pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15813-strange-mercy/|title=St. Vincent: Strange Mercy|work=Pitchfork|date=September 13, 2011|accessdate=September 13, 2011|last=Dombal|first=Ryan}}

| rev9 = Rolling Stone

| rev9Score = {{rating|3.5|5}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/strange-mercy-20110913|title=Strange Mercy|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=September 13, 2011|accessdate=September 14, 2011|last=Hermes|first=Will|author-link=Will Hermes}}

| rev10 = Spin

| rev10Score = 9/10{{cite journal|url=http://www.spin.com/reviews/st-vincent-strange-mercy-4ad|title=St. Vincent, 'Strange Mercy' (4AD)|journal=Spin|date=September 14, 2011|accessdate=September 14, 2011|last=Anderson|first=Stacey|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925202157/http://www.spin.com/reviews/st-vincent-strange-mercy-4ad|archivedate=September 25, 2011}}

}}

Strange Mercy has received critical acclaim. On the review aggregate site Metacritic, the album has a score of 85 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim". Pitchfork{{'}}s Ryan Dombal gave the album a "Best New Music" designation, writing "Here, Clark's role-playing is grounded in emotions that are as cryptic as they are genuine and affecting. And when her voice can't bear it, her guitar does the screaming." Drowned in Sound{{'}}s Sean Adams also gave the album a positive review, writing, "Don't be fooled by them saucer-like bambi eyes[...] or her tip-top indie-rock-positioning system[...] because this is an album that rockets toward you, ricochets through your emotions and finally decides to lay you down on the floor, headphones on, tumbling around like a blissed-out cat in the sun."{{cite web|url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/16494/reviews/4143548?ticker|title=Album Review: St. Vincent – Strange Mercy|work=Drowned in Sound|date=September 13, 2011|accessdate=September 13, 2011|last=Adams|first=Sean|archive-date=October 17, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017014842/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/16494/reviews/4143548?ticker|url-status=dead}} Spin{{'}}s Stacey Anderson called Strange Mercy St. Vincent's "most mercurial [album] yet", continuing: "Clark's complex femininity, both self-possessed and keenly evolving, is what makes her music so powerful and fascinating." Q also gave the album a positive review, writing: "Combining elegance and menace expertly, Clark's vocals drift languidly amid swimmy guitars, siren-like choirs and strings, while lyrical undercurrents of anger, hysteria and black humour tug beneath the surface."{{cite journal|title=Uneasy listening from honey-tongued, dark-hearted singer|journal=Q|issue=303|date=November 2011|last=Carnwath|first=Ally|page=128}} Arnold Pan of PopMatters praised the album for balancing experimentation and accessibility, writing "It's as if Strange Mercy is making the case that high art can have a popular dimension—and the reverse, too, that pop culture can be high-minded and artful. Like peers such as Animal Collective and Dirty Projectors, Clark creates challenging music that doesn't go over your head even though you realize there's more going on with it than you can wrap your mind around."{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/148401-st.-vincent-strange-mercy/|title=St. Vincent: Strange Mercy|work=PopMatters|date=September 12, 2011|accessdate=September 12, 2011|last=Pan|first=Arnold}}

In a more mixed review, BBC Music's Wyndham Wallace called Strange Mercy "a little underwhelming", writing that there was a lack of standout tracks. Wallace continued: "[...] ultimately Strange Mercy sounds like her best record still lies ahead, once she feels a little more at ease with balancing her obviously multiple talents."{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/mmfd|title=St. Vincent Strange Mercy Review|publisher=BBC Music|date=September 1, 2011|accessdate=September 13, 2011|last=Wallace|first=Wyndham}}

Strange Mercy has appeared on many end-of-year lists. Paste ranked the album No. 11 on its list of the best 50 albums of 2011.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2011/11/the-50-best-albums-of-2011.html?p=4 |title=The 50 Best Albums of 2011|last=Josh |first=Jackson |date=29 November 2011 |magazine=Paste |accessdate=30 November 2011}} The same website also called the track "Cruel" the 13th best song of 2011, writing "The simple lyrics about how hurtful and painful the pressure of looks can have on a person are accompanied by a Talking Heads-like progression. It is difficult to be upset when this song gets stuck in your head."{{cite magazine |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2011/11/the-50-best-songs-of-2011.html?p=4 |title=The 50 Best Songs of 2011|last=Josh |first=Jackson |date=30 November 2011 |magazine=Paste |accessdate=30 November 2011}} Q ranked the album No. 8 on its list of the top 50 albums of 2011, while NME ranked the album No. 7 on its end-of-year list.[http://news.qthemusic.com/2011/11/florence_the_machine_named_qs.html Florence + The Machine named Q's album of 2011 – listen now] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111201223444/http://news.qthemusic.com/2011/11/florence_the_machine_named_qs.html |date=2011-12-01 }}. Q. 29 November 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2011.[https://stereogum.com/899191/nmes-50-best-albums-of-2011/list/ NME's 50 Best Albums Of 2011]. Stereogum. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2011. Uncut placed Strange Mercy at No. 43.[https://stereogum.com/891311/uncuts-top-50-albums-of-2011/list/ Uncut's Top 50 Albums Of 2011]. Stereogum. 29 November 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2011. Pitchfork ranked the album No. 11 on its list of the Top 50 Albums of 2011, with Stephen Deusner writing: "Strange Mercy is always on its toes, always toying with some new idea, always building toward the oddly satisfying payoff. The song might be a narrative or an uncomfortable explication of the life of an indie rock artist, and the ambiguity, not to mention the ambivalence, stings. By totally embracing that off-kilter danger, Clark opened up a raw and brave new vocabulary."[https://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/8727-the-top-50-albums-of-2011/5/ The Top 50 Albums of 2011] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304220733/http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/8727-the-top-50-albums-of-2011/5/ |date=2016-03-04 }}. Pitchfork. 15 December 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011. In 2013, NME listed the album at 369 in their list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/photos/the-500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-100-1-1426116|title=The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time: 100-1|website=NME |date=October 25, 2013}}

Consequence of Sound named the record the ninth best album of the 2010s decade,{{Cite web|url=https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/11/top-albums-of-the-2010s/|title=Top 100 Albums of the 2010s|date=2019-11-04|website=Consequence of Sound|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-13}} and Pitchfork ranked it at 55 on their Best Albums of the 2010s list.{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-200-best-albums-of-the-2010s/|title=The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s|website=Pitchfork|date=8 October 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-11-13}}

On January 20, 2012, Clark announced a tour in support of Strange Mercy. The tour included a performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, as well as two co-headlining shows with Tune-Yards.Phillips, Amy. [https://pitchfork.com/news/45176-st-vincent-announces-tour/ St. Vincent Announces Tour]. Pitchfork. 20 January 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2012.

St. Vincent has also performed songs from Strange Mercy on several television shows. On January 16, 2012, she performed "Cheerleader" on Conan. On February 13, 2012, St. Vincent performed "Cruel" and "Cheerleader" on the Gossip Girl episode "Crazy, Cupid, Love".{{cite web|last=Pelly|first=Jenn|title=St. Vincent to Appear on "Gossip Girl"|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/45297-st-vincent-to-appear-on-gossip-girl/|work=Pitchfork|accessdate=February 2, 2012|date=February 1, 2012}} On May 1, 2012, she performed "Cruel" and "Cheerleader" on Later... with Jools Holland.Snape, Laura. [https://pitchfork.com/news/46366-watch-st-vincent-and-damon-albarn-perform-on-later-with-jools-holland/ Watch: St. Vincent and Damon Albarn Perform on "Later With Jools Holland"]. Pitchfork. 1 May 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2012.

All songs written by Annie Clark, except where noted.

{{Track listing

|headline = Strange Mercy {{nobold|– Standard edition}}

|total_length = 40:51

|title1= Chloe in the Afternoon

|length1= 2:55

|title2= Cruel

|length2= 3:34

|title3= Cheerleader

|length3= 3:28

|title4= Surgeon

|length4= 4:25

|title5= Northern Lights

|length5= 3:33

|title6= Strange Mercy

|length6= 4:28

|title7= Neutered Fruit

|length7= 4:13

|title8= Champagne Year

|length8= 3:28

|title9= Dilettante

|length9= 4:03

|title10= Hysterical Strength

|length10= 3:16

|title11= Year of the Tiger

|note11= Annie Clark, Sharon Clark

|length11= 3:28

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Strange Mercy {{nobold|– Japanese edition}}

| total_length= 48:26

| title12 = This Wave

| length12 = 3:25

| title13 = Year of the Tiger

| note13 = Live: 4AD Session

| length13 = 4:10

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Stranger Mercy {{nobold|– CD+DVD Deluxe edition (DVD)}}

| total_length= 18:49

| title1 = Cheerleader

| note1 = Video

| length1 = 3:28

| title2 = Cruel

| note2 = Video

| length2 = 3:34

| title3 = 4AD Session

| note3 = recorded at the Shangri-La Studio, New York, 6 September 2011

| length3 = 18:47

}}

Credits are adapted from the Strange Mercy liner notes.{{cite AV media notes|title=Strange Mercy|others=St. Vincent|year=2011|publisher=4AD|type=CD booklet}}

• Annie Clark – vocals, guitar, keyboards
• Bobby Sparks – Minimoog, clavinet, ARP, Wurlitzer
• McKenzie Smith – drum kit
• Daniel Hart – violin, additional string arrangement
• Evan Smith – saxophone, clarinet, flute
• Brian LeBarton – additional keyboards
• John Congleton – drum programming, production
• Phil Palazzolo – additional woodwind engineering
• Lever and Beam – management

{{Infobox album

| name = 4AD Session

| type = EP

| artist = St. Vincent

| cover = St. Vincent - 4AD Session.jpg

| alt =

| released = {{Start date|2012|4|10}}

| recorded = {{Start date|2011|9|6}}

| venue = Shangri-La (New York City, New York)

| genre =

| length = {{Duration|m=18|s=47}}

| label = 4AD

| director = {{hlist|Iain Forsyth|Jane Pollard}}

| producer = {{hlist|Natalie Johns|Dig For Fire}}

| prev_title = Strange Mercy

| prev_year = 2011

| next_title = Love This Giant

| next_year = 2012

}}

4AD Session is a live EP by American musician St. Vincent, released on April 10, 2012, by 4AD. Consisting of live renditions of five songs from Strange Mercy, it was recorded at Shangri-La Studio on September 6, 2011. A video recording of the performance was also included in the deluxe Stranger Mercy reissue of the album.

{{Track listing

|total_length=18:47

|title1= Chloe in the Afternoon

|length1= 2:56

|title2= Surgeon

|length2= 4:26

|title3= Strange Mercy

|length3= 4:18

|title4= Cheerleader

|length4= 3:30

|title5= Year of the Tiger

|length5= 3:37

}}

• Annie Clark – guitar, vocals
• Daniel Mintseris – keys
• Toko Yasuda – Moog
• Matthew Johnson – drums

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{Discogs master|367493}}
• {{MusicBrainz release-group|id=a9c80acf-5017-4301-8da0-2d6dfb502400|name=Strange Mercy}}
• [http://4ad.com/releases/21322 4AD's page on Strange Mercy]

{{St. Vincent}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Strange Mercy}}

Category:2011 albums

Category:4AD albums

Category:St. Vincent (musician) albums

Category:Art rock albums by American artists

Category:Albums produced by John Congleton

Category:Baroque pop albums