St. Vincent: Strange Mercy

Label: 4AD

Annie Clark's first album not to star her delightful chin on the cover compensates wonderfully in other ways -- specifically, the vigorously talented artist's most diverse set of songs yet. Darting through sometimes brutish guitar riffs (which, honestly, I did not know were in her toolbox until she covered Big Black) with her sweetly bending voice, St. Vincent presents 11 new songs that sometimes drop sly references: "Surgeon" opens by borrowing from the sublime title track of You Only Live Twice, before moving into a no less sumptuous synth-backed reverie; the pulsing electronic percussion of "Champagne Year" makes me think of Ultravox's "Vienna," though to say that's all this song does is to sell it way short. Mostly though, Strange Mercy displays an artist who smartly, confidently straddles micro-genres of rock and pop. The riveting "Northern Lights," which buzzes and howls while Clark purrs in a way that would turn Goldfrapp's brown eyes green, will be one of the songs of the year for sure.