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By Stephanie Arenas
St. Vincent, also known as Annie Clark, brought in a fresh new ’70s rock ‘n’ roll sound with her new album “Daddy’s Home,” released May 14.
Inspired by the likes of David Bowie, Pink Floyd and Kate Bush, Clark decided to shine a new light on a heavy topic: her relationship with her father.
Clark’s father was arrested in 2010 for his involvement in a multi-million dollar white collar crime. However, since his release in 2019, Clark has been very vocal about his incarceration.
“In some ways, the roles have reversed – I feel like ‘Daddy’ half the time,” Clark said in an interview with The Guardian. “He’s a person, and every person has a lot of facets, and a lot of s— they’ve done wrong, and good qualities. So it just is. That’s not very poetic, but it just is.”
Luckily, Clark has since discussed how great of a relationship she now has with her father. However, that doesn’t erase the pain she suffered throughout her childhood and teen years.
Fans of St. Vincent were initially concerned when the album was first announced, as Clark had never written an entire album about such a strong and touchy topic before. Some were even dismayed by the title of the album alone, as it includes the word “daddy,” an uncomfortable phrase for many.
Fans were overjoyed after the release of the album and some even claim this to be her best album yet, myself included.
The album opens up with “Pay Your Way in Pain,” a song that discusses the troubles of being a young adult who is just trying to get through the day.
Everyone has their own struggles, even Annie Clark herself. Clark was just a young musician when she lived in New York City.
The song depicts a young woman who is just trying to get by paycheck to paycheck. This woman is looking for food that she can’t afford when she finally decides to just head to a park and relax.
After being chased out of the park by mothers who think the woman looks trashy and immodest, the woman heads home only to find that her partner has changed the locks to their apartment.
St. Vincent has even made it known that this particular song is about “a world where we’re often asked to choose between surviving and dignity.”
The most emotional song of the album by far is the title track “Daddy’s Home.”
Clark writes, “you still got it in your government green suit / And I look down and out in my fine Italian shoes / And we’re tight as a Bible with the pages stuck like glue / Yeah, you did some time, well, I did some time, too.”
Here, we get a pretty good understanding of how Clark’s father’s incarceration truly affected her. While her father was locked up, Clark did her own soul searching as she did not have that second parental figure around.
Despite its specific topic, this song seems like one that anyone with an absent parent can relate to.
Overall, “Daddy’s Home” is a well-made album that deserves the attention it’s getting. Annie Clark has yet again struck gold with her new album and I’m looking forward to what she has in store for the future.
