Flu’s mostly gone, but on this fine Monday morning I’m still burning up from another kind of fever.
I’ve been dying to write about St Vincent’s new album ‘All Born Screaming’ since it came out but I’m way too busy listening to it to be honest. It’s been on repeat A LOT and I’m still trying to process it all. Fine, that’s a lie – I’m truly just indulging in it all and blissing out for once. My overthinking brain can wait another day to wreck my joy.
Good for me, and good for you too (maybe) – It’s Monday morning and you know how I roll, way too much coffee and a good dash of live music to make good use of that caffeinated blood pressure spiking.
And what better choice than St Vincent to restore my immune system? Might as well fight fire with fire, right?
Well, if it’s fire you’re looking for – you’re about to get served with this perf.
‘Broken man’ has been on my playlists for a few months now, and it was definitely my first clue that I would develop yet another unhealthy obsession with an album. What can I say, there are songs that make you growl in the most pleasant way when you hear them and I’m more than fine with it.
Take this one for example. That intro alone is my perfect epitome of ‘I saw you from across the bar and I really dig your vibe’ – no wonder I keep scaring people off but that’s a me problem.
Vibe. I hate how overused that word is, means everything and anything these days but for lack of better words – and trust me I’ve just spent 20 minutes buried in my synonyms dictionary – I can’t find one that sums it up more perfectly than this. That song is 100% a vibe.
A vibe for the patient ones.
That slow build up will crawl under your skin through dirty basses and electrifying guitars to the point where you’ll wonder for a hot second if someone just spiked your drink given how clearly you can feel that groove creeping up in your bones.
You’d be in that venue you’d prob theorize that the whole world is spinning, but there you are in the comfort of your own home with good headphones for sole companion (sigh). And yet.
That’s how powerful that song can be – and honestly the whole of ‘All Born Screaming’, highly recommend you give it a listen too.
It only gets better with St Vincent herself physically embodying, as always, her own art and letting her body resonate with those sounds. Sometimes looking just like the result of a raggedy voodoo doll controlled – but so in control – from afar by an old world pulsating force, you might question her sanity witnessing it. Let me share one hard to swallow truth guys – stop fooling yourselves, that’s how you (we) all look in the pit when the music is good. A sea of puppets commanded by music authority. But isn’t it part of that musical high we’re all chasing? Giving our minds and body a little respite placing ourselves in the hands of someone else for a few minutes? Safely. Happily. Art makes it okay to lose yourself for a while, you just gotta choose your leader wisely to also find yourself on the way back.
I might be biased – of course I am so what – but St Vincent is a great artist for that.
My only advice in that respect is to accept those snaring rhythms’ invitation and surrender to it all, let it overpower you, let go of control because as I was saying earlier, that sensory trip will be rewarded tenfold if you’re patient enough. All leading you up to… ha. God. Ugh. THAT ultimate release.
The fire. The fever. Call it what you want.
I’ve probably already maxed out the shitty analogies for one post, but trust me when I say I’m thinking it, and hell feeling it, REALLY hard.
I’ll shut up and just let you find for yourself the true definition of what a musical eargasm is then. There, I said it.
As for me, cold shower it is. Happy monday y’all.
