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Actor (album)

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Untitled

Actor is the second album by musician St. Vincent, released by 4AD on May 4, 2009 in the UK and a day later in the US. The first single released was "Actor Out of Work" in April.[1] St. Vincent wrote the album using computer music application GarageBand.[2] In interviews, St. Vincent revealed that the inspiration for the songs came from watching her favourite films, including Woody Allen and Disney animated features. The album debuted at #90 in the US on the Billboard 200.

Reception

The album received extremely wide critical acclaim.[3] Pitchfork Media gave the album an 8.5/10 rating, and a "Best New Music" tag, praising the album's conceptual integrity, describing the album's 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 noted a departure from St. Vincent's début album Marry Me, 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", claiming that Clark had "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, frequently praised the album's contrast of melodic pop and distorted guitar-work with dark lyrics.

Track listing

  1. "The Strangers" – 4:04
  2. "Save Me from What I Want" – 3:35
  3. "The Neighbors" – 3:30
  4. "Actor Out of Work" – 2:15
  5. "Black Rainbow" – 4:11
  6. "Laughing with a Mouth of Blood" – 3:01
  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" – 1:53

Vinyl Track Listing

Side A

  1. "The Strangers" – 4:04
  2. "Save Me from What I Want" – 3:35
  3. "The Neighbors" – 3:30
  4. "Actor Out of Work" – 2:15
  5. "Black Rainbow" – 4:11
  6. "The Sequel" – 1:53

Side B

  1. "Laughing with a Mouth of Blood" – 3:01
  2. "Marrow" – 3:24
  3. "The Bed" – 3:43
  4. "The Party" – 4:05
  5. "Just the Same But Brand New" – 5:24


The digital download available from the iTunes Store comes with the bonus track "Oh My God." The Amazon US store offers an exclusive version of the digital download, with "Actor Out of Work" b-side "Bicycle" as a free bonus track.

Singles

  • "Actor Out of Work" (April 20, 2009)
    1. "Actor Out of Work"
    2. "Bicycle"
  • "Marrow" (November 2, 2009)
    1. "Marrow"
    2. "Oh My God"

Chart performance

Album charts

Chart (2009) Peak
position
UK Albums Chart[4] 161
U.S. Billboard 200[5] 90
U.S. Alternative Albums[5] 20
U.S. Independent Albums[5] 9
U.S. Rock Albums[6] 48

References

  1. ^ "St. Vincent Announces New Album: Actor". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
  2. ^ "Annie Clark Acts Out for Second". Billboard.com. On "Actor," Clark's writing process was esoteric. She used Apple's Garage Band 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.
  3. ^ Actor reviews at Metacritic.com. Metacritic.com. Accessed 2009-12-09.
  4. ^ http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK2009.HTM
  5. ^ a b c [1]
  6. ^ http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/st-vincent/chart-history/859558?f=408&g=Albums
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