THEY say you should never judge a book by its cover, and the same goes for albums.

From the regal pose and wacky hairstyle on Annie Clark’s selftitled fourth album, you’d be forgiven for expecting a Lady Gaga knock-off. In fairness, there are elements of Gaga, but St. Vincent is far less camp and much more gritty. While Gaga fills her music with innuendo, Clark does away with the guesswork and states matter-of-factly the type of thing only alluded to in mainstream pop.

It’s a refreshing change, and with the catchy guitar and synths – particularly on Rattlesnake and Birth In Reverse – Clark proves herself a more than capable writer and performer of good, solid music. To be honest, from the style and content, a more appropriate comparison would be Alison Goldfrapp – from the upbeat opening tracks to the more melodic downbeat Prince Johnny and Huey Newton, and the scathing attack on the digital age Digital Witness, there’s plenty of range. Don’t be put off by assuming you know what this album is about. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

St Vincent plays Leeds Metropolitan University on May 17.