An artistic meeting of the minds between David Byrne and Annie Clark is more of a natural one than some might expect.
Both are adventurous musicians who employ a playfully surreal streak within their work — Byrne via the well-known Art Pop stylings of Talking Heads and a variety of lesser-known solo projects; Clark via St. Vincent, which has yielded a trio of accomplished Chamber Pop albums marked by its leading lady’s ethereal voice, expressive guitar gymnastics and dynamic arrangements. They both also seem like otherworldly creatures, artistic savants who see things from a different angle.
The duo’s first album together, last year’s Love This Giant, is pretty much what you’d expect from of a Byrne/Clark collaboration: a dozen slanted Pop songs heavy on horns and highlighted by the duo’s distinctive vocals and a healthy dose of Funk. It should also come as no surprise to learn that the live shows in support of Love This Giant are highly conceptual affairs featuring intricate choreography and elaborate lighting schemes. Perhaps less expected has been the inclusion of Talking Heads staples like “This Must Be the Place,” Burning Down the House” and “Road to Nowhere,” plus St. Vincent tunes like “Marrow,” “Cheerleader” and “Cruel,” with Byrne and Clark injecting a curious new element into the other’s songs.
DAVID BYRNE and ST. VINCENT perform Wednesday, July 10 at Taft Theatre downtown. Buy tickets, check out performance times and get venue details here.
