Album Review: St Vincent, Daddy's Home

St Vincent's career has been marked by constant reinvention – allowing her to carve out a presence as one of the most intriguing and globe-conquering presences in modern pop. Although she has once again teamed up with Jack Antonoff on her new album, Daddy's Home finds her ditching the futuristic approach of Masseducation to embrace a gritty sound rooted specifically in early '70s New York City. It was a tumultuous time, characterised by contrasting grime and glamour – and St. Vincent embraces both in equal measure.

Glam, psychedelic, folk, raga rock and soulful pop influences are worn on her sleeve – particularly on the aptly titled 'Live In The Dream', and 'The Melting Of The Sun', which features retro backing vocals from Kenya Hathaway (Donny's daughter) and Lynne Fiddmont, while name-checking The Dark Side Of The Moon, Hejira-era Joni Mitchell and Nina Simone. On 'Somebody Like Me' meanwhile, one of the album's unexpected highlights, she's channeling the spirit of some tragic doomed starlet of the era.

But rarely does Daddy's Home feel like a posturing musical period piece. Rather than revel self-indulgently in the vintage aesthetic, St Vincent's approach is grounded in a modern awareness. This is especially notable on the swaggering title-track – which directly addresses her father's release from prison in 2019, something that became tabloid fodder in recent years. Daddy's Home finds St. Vincent taking back the reins – telling her own story on her own terms, while exploring a captivating new direction in her sound.

In a flip-cover special in the new issue of Hot Press (out now) St Vincent talks openly and with remarkable honesty about her extraordinary life – and the attitudes and ideas that have made her one of the world’s most challenging and revered artists.

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