10 Most Overrated Indie Rock Albums Of All Time
8. St Vincent - Masseduction
She’s one of the sharpest voices in arch indie pop, and with the vibe and skills, Annie Clarke was always set to make it to the big time. Unfortunately, there’s a strong case to be made that, the more mainstream attention she has gained, the less interesting her music has become, with her fifth release Masseducation by a measure her least notable release to date.
It followed in the wake of her self titled record, a Grammy winner but a step down from the icy brilliance of career highlight Strange Mercy. Masseducation sees Clarke taking the opportunity to go for broke, and on the likes of “Pills”, she plays to the very back of the theatre. Her stage show and presentation has always been outre, but the music loses some subtlety when it’s written so clearly for major crowds.
She also gets sincere on the likes of “Happy Birthday, Johnny”, which isn’t her strong suit by any means. “New York” goes from a sparse verse to a pure pop chorus, which certainly works from a songwriting perspective but compared to the guitar freakouts of old, it’s a bit disappointing.