Label: 4AD
Vinyl Release Date: 05/04/2009
Original Release Date: 05/04/2009
Variant: Vinyl LP

“Actor, St. Vincents beguiling, sophisticated new record, takes her debuts ambition as its starting point and never looks back. The arrangements are more masterful, the songwriting grander, the performances ever more confident and inspired. Clark developed an idiosyncratic writing process for Actor, immersing herself in some of her favorite filmsBadlands, Pierrot le Fou, The Wizard of Oz, Stardust Memories, Sleeping Beautyand beginning each song as a secret film score, then slowly giving it independence as its structure and lyrics came fully into focus. The resulting eleven tracks are as cinematic as pop songs can be, but the movie is a private one, revealing its storyline in hushed, cunning couplets and cascades of scathing guitar. Here is a record to listen to with your eyes closed. Melodies are transposed and inverted. The fantasy of Disney is juxtaposed with the sweep of Morricone, David Mamets unsettling dramatic form and the alienation of Philip Roth. Igor Stravinsky scores Roger Cormans horror flicks. The crackerjack band, including supporting turns by McKenzie Smith and Paul Alexander of Midlake, has the crunch of a tank and the grace of a chamber ensemble. If Marry Me served as the worlds introduction to Annie Clark, Actor may prove to be her coronation. As the terrifyingly beautiful movie inside Clarks head flickers across the screen, we can all feel privileged to be in the seats.” – 4AD

Tracklist:
1. The Strangers
2. Save Me From What I Want
3. The Neighbors
4. Actor Out Of Work
5. Black Rainbow
6. Laughing With A Mouth Of Blood
7. Marrow
8. The Bed
9. The Party
10. Just The Same But Brand New
11. The Sequel