St. Vincent All Born Screaming
Released Apr 26, 2024 St. Vincent
Consensus forming 3 professional reviews Updated Oct 3, 2026
Strong critical consensus
Consensus is still forming across 3 professional reviews. St.
How ChoruScore worksCritics' Top Tracks
The songs critics returned to most
Broken Man
3 critic mentions
“Perhaps the best example of this is ‘Broken Man’, which sees Dave Grohl driving a Nine Inch Nails-esque masterclass in minimalism.” — DIY Magazine
All Born Screaming (feat. Cate Le Bon)
2 critic mentions
“The record closes with the title track, which pairs a jazzy, almost Smiths-like guitar line and off-kilter drums” — DIY Magazine
Flea
2 critic mentions
“another pounding Grohl-assisted anthem, “Flea” — The Line of Best Fit
Full critic consensus
St. Vincent's All Born Screaming lands as a bruising, brilliant statement that pairs paranoia and psyche introspection with widescreen sonics. Critics agree the record's centrepiece is “Broken Man”, repeatedly praised for Dave Grohl's thunderous drumming and Annie Clarke's rejuvenated guitar work, while the seven-minute title piece “All Born Screaming (feat. Cate Le Bon)” earns notice for its compositional ambition and cinematic sweep.
Across three professional reviews the critical consensus, reflected in an 86.67/100 score from 3 reviews, highlights a record built on analogue synth sheen, muscular percussion and a tension between horror and hope. Reviewers consistently point to standout tracks such as “Flea” and “Sweetest Fruit” for their scuzz-pop energy and moments of tenderness, and they underline recurring themes: existentialism, visual-art inspiration, minimalist passages that explode into sonic bombast, and collaborations with notable drummers and artists.
While praise is dominant, critics also temper enthusiasm with nuance - some find the album's default wall of noise occasionally overwhelms quieter detail, and a few passages veer toward relentless psyche-mining rather than respite. Taken together, professional reviews suggest All Born Screaming is a largely successful, often essential addition to St. Vincent's catalogue that rewards repeated plays and rewards those seeking both muscular popcraft and dark, emotionally naked songwriting.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Hell Is Near
Reckless
Broken Man
Flea
Big Time Nothing
Violent Times
The Power's Out
Sweetest Fruit
So Many Planets
All Born Screaming (feat. Cate Le Bon)
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 3 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
St. Vincent’s All Born Screaming reads like an existential balancing act, and the reviewer keeps landing on a handful of best tracks that prove it. Chief among the best songs on All Born Screaming is “Broken Man”, a Nine Inch Nails-esque masterclass driven by Dave Grohl that bristles with overpowering sexuality. The opener “Hell Is Near” and the reggae-tinged “So Many Planets” show Annie Clarke making the best use of her guitar prowess, while tender pieces like “The Power's Out” and “Reckless” supply the album’s bittersweet counterpoint. Altogether these best tracks on the album underline a record that is simultaneously raw, minimal and richly humane.
Key Points
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“Broken Man” is the standout for its minimalism, Dave Grohl’s drive, and provocative sexuality.
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The album’s core strengths are minimalist arrangements that foreground Annie Clarke’s renewed guitar prowess and emotional range.
Themes
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Critic's Take
St. Vincent sounds like she finally found her lingua franca on All Born Screaming, the record she helmed herself and which mixes darkness with popcraft. The review singles out “Broken Man” for Dave Grohl’s tour de force drumming, while the scuzz-pop stomp of “Flea” and the Bond-ready drama of “Violent Times” mark the best tracks on the album. The reviewer’s voice is admiring and a little awestruck, noting that stuff gets pretty dark but damn it sounds good, which explains why these songs stand out. Overall the best songs on All Born Screaming are praised for muscular drums, analogue sheen and cinematic scope, making them immediate highlights.
Key Points
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Dave Grohl’s drumming on "Broken Man" makes it the album’s standout moment.
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The album’s strengths are self-production, analogue textures and cinematic, dark-pop songwriting.
Themes
Critic's Take
In a characteristically blunt and admiring tone Tom Williams argues that St. Vincent's All Born Screaming foregrounds relentless psyche-mining and muscular sonics, with “Broken Man” and the title track staking clear claims as the album's best tracks. He savours the single “Broken Man” for its "stalkerish desperation" and frenzied guitar matched to Dave Grohl's drumming, and places the seven-minute “All Born Screaming (feat. Cate Le Bon)” among Clark's finest works for its compositional breadth. Williams also notes quieter triumphs like “Sweetest Fruit” as heartfelt reprieves, even as the LP's default wall of noise sometimes overwhelms quieter guitar detail.
Key Points
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The title track is the album's compositional peak, a seven-minute masterpiece releasing accumulated strife.
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Album strengths are intense vocal delivery, frenzied guitar work, and a sustained mood of paranoid introspection.