With two tracks being dropped from it thus far, St. Vincent’s next record is shaping up to be her strangest. This latest cut titled “Digital Witness” delivers the kind of funky drum beats and peppy horns that graced numerous tracks on Ms. Clark’s recent collaboration with David Byrne, Love This Giant. The production is a bit more cluttered, though–and enjoyably so.
The instrumentation is heavily layered here with brittle guitars, squelching synth sequences, and a danceable bass line. Clark’s vocals are overdubbed to create some nice harmonies as well. I’d say her singing is a bit odder than usual on the verses, too.
The song’s lyrics are worth paying attention to as well; delivering a pretty clear picture of today’s social media-obsessed culture. Lines like “What’s the point of even sleeping if I can’t show it?” speak to the level of vanity held by people who share every waking moment on apps like Instagram.
What do you think?
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