St. Vincent - Daddy's Home Album Review

St. Vincent takes us on a beautiful and magnificent trip back in time with 70's influenced instrumentation and stunning vocals on her 2021 album Daddy's Home.  

Coming out a in early 2021, Daddy's Home was the latest release of musician Annie Clark, known professionally as St. Vincent. Her prolific solo career started in 2007 with her debut album Marry Me, St. Vincent has won multiple Grammys for both songs, "Masseducation", and albums, St. Vincent. Daddy's Home carries the spirit of her musical style as it appeared on past projects, with an orientation towards various subgenres of rock including indie, psychedelic, and others. The psychedelic undertones of the entire album permeate every song across both the instrumentation and the singing. 

Diving deeper into the album, the best place to start is certainly the instrumentation. A diverse arrangement of hazy and bright sounds litter the project. Despite this sonic contrast, Clark does a really good job in constructing this album - the overall etherealness to the sound fails to break when listening front to back. In fact, the juxtaposition of going from mellow and hazy sounds on the "The Laughing Man" to up-tempo bangers like "Down" highlights the craftsmanship and thoughtfulness put into the production and sequencing of the album. The guitar and sitar instrumentals littered throughout Daddy's Home also promote the sonic depth with songs like "Down and out Downtown" carrying very subtle sitar riffs overlaying the second chorus. Ultimately, these intentional yet faint instrumentals push the psychedelic themes of the album to the forefront of the listener's experience. These sort of all come together in a splendid cacophony on the psychedelic banger "Live in the Dream".  A clear homage to Pink Floyd, the guitar solo at the end, and the string instrumentation throughout the song create a glorious and cosmic space that you float through while you are listening. The variety of soothing sounds touches upon the intimate on "Somebody Like Me", where the romanticism builds from this beautiful guitar melody, reaching a climax around 2:43 with a solo personifying guitar notes as a sunset across a beautiful landscape. Something else to note here is that the melody contains these retro, country-like undercurrents that could melt ears of even those who dislike the genre.  

How Clark depicts connection across the project in terms of platonic and non-platonic relationships is indicative of superb songwriting. The title track "Daddy's Home" recounts Clark's visit to her father in prison with clever quips, ultimately producing an almost lighthearted atmosphere despite the careful subject of the record. Alternatively, St. Vincent offers an interesting portrayal of the tension that arises when partners have conflicting desires for their dynamic, weaving in her own worries about repeating the mistakes of her ancestors in her own relationships. I really like the way that Clark sings about this and how she channels independence and freedom in her conclusion. It ties nicely into the multiple meanings associated with the album name -- Daddy's Home -- whether uses the term to address her family, other relationships, or herself. 

Rating: 
Songwriting: 9.3/10
Singing and Delivery: 9.2/10

Production: 10/10
Overall: 9.5/10