St. Vincent

Former Sufjan and Polyphonic Spree guitarist Annie Clark’s spidery indie pop was markedly less self-indulgent on 2009’s widely beloved Actor than on her debut, Marry Me. This seemingly bodes well for her eagerly anticipated Strange Mercy, which drops September 13. But, whoops, then you’ve also got last month’s elaborate Twitter-fueled unveiling of the lead single, “Surgeon,” an unhinged kegger of guitar and synth overdubs that feels a bit like Trent Reznor lending Cyndi Lauper his taste for adventure. A bit over the top, but there’s just no reasoning with the sorts of people who book rooftop gigs on top of the Met, is there?

Thu., Aug. 25, 6:30 p.m., 2011