“Undeniable”: the song that turned St Vincent into a rock virtuoso
Few people are doing it like Annie Clark at the moment. The Dallas native, who plies her trade under the more recognisable stage name St Vincent, treads the fine line between mainstream stardom and indie cred better than anyone else. Famous enough to slay Saturday Night Live and contribute songs to Hollywood movies, there has also always been something legitimately edgy and artistic about her work. Just look at the Grammys she won for her 2024 fire-breathing rock album All Born Screaming for proof. With that in mind, it makes sense that one of her key inspirations is Jimi Hendrix.
At his peak, Hendrix had that same level of cross-cultural credibility. He was a genuine, bonafide popstar who one could recognise by his silhouette and myriad of charting hits. One of Hendrix’s big breaks was a tour supporting The Monkees in 1967. Yet, the man’s artistic cred is still probably second to none.
The man took a feedback-soaked, live rendition of the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ and made it one of the most iconic works of art of the 1960s. Considering the level of artistic development that decade saw, that’s saying a hell of a lot. Arguably, the song that bridges the gap between these two sides of him is the third single from Electric Ladyland, the deathless banger ‘Crosstown Traffic’.
This is a song that, on the one hand, is one of the catchiest songs he ever wrote. One listen of that roller-coasting riff, and good luck getting it out of your head for the rest of the week. At the same time, its sheer heaviness made it genuinely out there upon its release in 1968. So, it makes perfect sense that this was the song that turned a young Annie Clark on to rock ‘n’ roll music and changed her life forever.
How did St Vincent discover Jimi Hendrix?
In an interview with Kerrang, Clark collected a list of the ten songs that changed her life. Alongside hits from Sonic Youth, Nick Cave and the Pointer Sisters, she put the Hendrix classic among them. Of the song, she says, “His guitar playing is just fire; it’s like lightning. As a guitarist, my favourite Jimi Hendrix guitar parts are his parts. I’m less of a solo gal, but the parts are so good. The sound is just pummelling, coming out of the speakers. It’s absolutely undeniable.”
Undeniable is the word, and one can hear the influence of Hendrix’s work on her guitar playing. Clark is more than capable of rattling off a mile-a-minute solo if she’s so inclined, but the way she talks about Hendrix’s “parts” is very illuminating. That’s guitar parts, mind you, get your mind out of the gutter. If you want that other kind, search the internet for “Hendrix plaster cast”, but don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Clark’s guitar style can’t be broken down into riffs and solos. Her approach to the guitar is often one that compliments the song itself, almost playing a duet on six strings with her own vocals. Look at the chorus of Strange Mercy’s classic ‘Cruel’ for more proof. This was something that Hendrix did with aplomb.
‘Crosstown Traffic’ itself is a perfect example of how he was able to play a counter melody to his own vocals on guitar. It’s clear that even at a young age, the girl who would later become St Vincent was listening intently and taking notes on what to do when she, too, would take on the world with her guitar mastery.
