David Byrne & St. Vincent + Corin Tucker Band | Tracks

“Weekend in the Dust”
David Byrne & St. Vincent 

The collaboration between David Byrne and St. Vincent feels as inevitable as it was anticipated. Art-rock godfather Byrne is still eager to chart out new territories, while Annie Clarke, as St. Vincent, has built on many of Byrne’s ideas in her own avant-pop escapades. What they share is a tendency to overwork ideas, so it’s not surprising that their new joint effort, Love This Giant, doesn’t sound effortless. That’s not a bad thing—a little elbow grease never hurts, especially in a meticulous endeavor like this. First single “Who” was dominated by Byrne, but a follow-up, “Weekend in the Dust,” puts the focus on Clark. Her stern, sometimes severe voice carefully executes multitracked cartwheels over a staccato funk punctuated by a cluster of horns. Baritone sax and tuba function as cogs in this overwrought machine, emanating a low, brassy rumble as wisps of Clark’s voice blur into a delirious swirl. Together, she and Byrne offer a postmodern take on the second-line tradition.

David Byrne & St. Vincent play Chicago Theatre Tuesday 18. Byrne also appears at the Music Box Theatre Monday 17.