St. Vincent - Strange Mercy [cd New] on 2040-motos

2011 album from St. Vincent, the nom-de-stage of singer, songwriter and guitarist Annie Clark. Having worked together on 2009's Actor, Clark reunited with producer John Congleton and recorded the album in her hometown of Dallas, TX at Elmwood Studios. The eleven new tracks showcase Clark's gift for fusing the cerebral and the visceral, her melodically elegant arrangements packing hefty emotional punches. Strange Mercy isn't an entirely solitary affair either, with Clark joined by a host of other musicians. Included among them are Grammy Award winning Bobby Sparks on mini Moog, clavinet, Arp and Wurlitzer, Midlake's MacKenzie Smith on drums and Daniel Hart on violin. Also contributing were Beck keyboardist and musical director Brian LeBarton, Evan Smith on woodwinds and Phil Palazzolo.