Released: 2009

Genres: Art Pop, Indie Pop, Chamber Pop, Neo-Psychedelia

The Musiquarium’s Actor Review Score: 4/5

Inspired by the soundtracks of 20th century animated Disney films, Actor sees the doe-eyed Annie Vincent playing with orchestral music and baroque pop. But don’t let the Disney inspiration fool you; this album is very dark in places and feels more like a Brothers Grimm fairytale than a Walt Disney one.

The Strangers is a whimsical start to the album, with its mysterious refrain of “paint the blackhole blacker”. Black Rainbow sounds like somebody spiked your drink with some acid and it’s starting to kick in towards the end of the song. Actor Out of Work stands out as a more straightforward rocker, with a post-punk influence. The brilliantly titled Laughing With a Mouth of Blood has a bit of a sixties vibe to it, with lyrics about fairweather friends. The Bed incorporates some Asian timbres. On the closer, The Sequel, acoustic guitars make a prominent appearance.

Despite the common thread of orchestras across the album, there’s enough variety within each song to prevent them from ever feeling derivative, but still allows for the album experience to be cohesive. Where Marry Me was a good album, Actor is a great one.

For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view St. Vincent on Discogs.

Back to the 2009 Album Guide or the St. Vincent Reviews page.

Written by Brett Nippard