Actor (album): Difference between revisions
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==Track listing== |
==Track listing== |
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Revision as of 23:25, 16 January 2013
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Actor is the second album by musician St. Vincent, released by 4AD on May 4, 2009, in the United Kingdom and a day later in the United States. The first single released was "Actor Out of Work" that April.[1] St. Vincent wrote the album using the computer music application GarageBand.[2]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
| The AV Club | A− link |
| Blender | link |
| Drowned in Sound | 8/10 link |
| Entertainment Weekly | A link |
| Paste | 77% link |
| Pitchfork Media | 8.5/10 link |
| PopMatters | 7/10 link |
| Robert Christgau |  [3] |
| Rolling Stone |  link |
| Spin | link |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | link |
The album received wide critical acclaim.[4] Pitchfork Media gave the album an 8.5/10 rating and a "Best New Music" tag, praising the concept and describing the sound as "melodic and controlled, conjuring abrasive textures that nevertheless have a clean, meticulous quality that complements her immaculate arrangements."
The AV Club's review called the album a departure from St. Vincent's debut, noting an absence of "the coy, conventional pop winks of Marry Me; even Actor’s lovelier moments come tinged with down-the-rabbit-hole danger." Clark has "found her own voice—and it's one you wouldn't want reading your kids any bedtime stories."
Other reviewers, such as Entertainment Weekly and AllMusic, praised the album's contrast of melodic pop and distorted guitars with dark lyrics.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Annie Clark
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Strangers" | 4:05 |
| 2. | "Save Me from What I Want" | 3:35 |
| 3. | "The Neighbors" | 3:31 |
| 4. | "Actor Out of Work" | 2:15 |
| 5. | "Black Rainbow" | 4:11 |
| 6. | "Laughing With a Mouth of Blood" | 3:02 |
| 7. | "Marrow" | 3:24 |
| 8. | "The Bed" | 3:43 |
| 9. | "The Party" | 4:05 |
| 10. | "Just The Same But Brand New" | 5:24 |
| 11. | "The Sequel" | 1:54 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Oh My God" | 4:29 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Bicycle" | 3:19 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Strangers" | 4:05 |
| 2. | "Save Me from What I Want" | 3:35 |
| 3. | "The Neighbor" | 3:31 |
| 4. | "Actor Out of Work" | 2:15 |
| 5. | "Black Rainbow" | 4:11 |
| 6. | "The Sequel" | 1:54 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Laughing With a Mouth of Blood" | 3:02 |
| 2. | "Marrow" | 3:24 |
| 3. | "The Bed" | 3:43 |
| 4. | "The Party" | 4:05 |
| 5. | "Just The Same But Brand New" | 5:24 |
Personnel
- Annie Clark – vocals, guitar, bass, keys, arrangement, and GarageBand
- Hideaki Aomori – flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto, tenor and soprano saxophone
- Michael Atkinson – French horn and score consultant
- Daniel Hart – violin, sarangi
- Mackenzie Smith – drums
- Alex Sopp – flute
- Paul Alexander – additional bass guitar
- William Flynn – additional bass guitar
- Jeff Ryan – additional drums
- Matthias Bossi – additional drums
- Aynsley Powell – additional drums
Singles
- "Actor Out of Work" (April 20, 2009)
- "Actor Out of Work"
- "Bicycle"
- "Marrow" (November 2, 2009)
- "Marrow"
- "Oh My God"
Sales chart performance
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart[5] | 161 |
| U.S. Billboard 200[6] | 90 |
| U.S. Alternative Albums[6] | 20 |
| U.S. Independent Albums[6] | 9 |
| U.S. Rock Albums[7] | 48 |
References
- ^ "St. Vincent Announces New Album: Actor". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 8 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Annie Clark Acts Out for Second". Billboard.com.
On "Actor," Clark's writing process was esoteric. She used Apple's GarageBand software to orchestrate the elaborate, whimsical arrangements, then worked backward to create pop melodies and lyrics. "I didn't write it on guitar, I didn't write it on piano. It was really, really weird," she says.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Actor". Robert Christgau.
- ^ Actor reviews at Metacritic.com. Metacritic.com. Retrieved 2009-12-09.
- ^ Chart Log UK – Chart Coverage and Record Sales 2009 and Special Single-File Version. Zobbel.de. Retrieved on 2010-11-30.
- ^ a b c St. Vincent, Billboards.com, May 23, 2009
- ^ St. Vincent, Billboards.com, May 23, 2009