St. Vincent - Neither A Saint, Nor Named Vincent, Just Great Music

My favorite album of the spring is Actor, by St. Vincent, a new-ish musical group that I just happened to come across about a month ago. St. Vincent is actually the stage name for Annie Clark, a sometimes member of the Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Steven's touring band. She released her debut album in 2007, Marry Me, to fairly rave reviews from critics as diverse as Pitchfork and the New York Times. Now, as she returns with Actor, her star continues to shine. With, one assumes, influences from touring pals Sufjan and the Polyphonic Spree, as well as the darker sounds of her own imagination, St. Vincent is back with another winner. After playing her album several times through on a recent road trip, I've concluded that this is an artist who has true songwriting diversity, and staying power... her songs are sometimes light and airy, boardering on Spree-like uplifting sounds, while others are weirder, orchestral, cinematic. Simply put, this lady can write a song, not to mention sing them, and if she keeps it up, this is just the beginning. St. Vincent will play an all ages show this Sunday, June 6 at Metro, so if you want to see the woman behind the music, don't miss it!