Grimes – Miss Anthropocene

In recent times, Claire Boucher, a.k.a. Grimes, was becoming more known as a celebrity than as an actual musician. That’s what happens when you date a tech entrepreneur who’s become more known as a celebrity, Elon Musk. From inspiring Musk’s law-breaking pot joke $420 stock price set to a feud with Azealia Banks to her weird baby announcement picture, Boucher had become a greater subject for E! than Pitchfork. Thankfully, Miss Anthropocene more than rights the ship, reminding people that Grimes makes great, inspired dance music.

Notably darker than 2015’s Art Angels (QRO review), it is a darker world today (even if you’re dating a billionaire). “So Heavy I Feel Through the Earth (Art Mix)” sets the stage as opener, with haunting electronic echoes. The smooth and, yes, dark “My Name Is Dark (Art Mix)” works its way under and into the listener. There are fast-moving dance tracks like “Darkseid” and “4ÆM” that sound as if from the near-future, but ‘world is moving too fast’ near future. And Boucher even throws a great curveball in the beautiful strum “Delete Forever”.

It’s always tricky when an artiste becomes not just popular but famous, particularly a woman, as broadsides get launched from the art-house critics and one can feel that someone is ‘more famous than good’ at their craft. Grimes might be nearing a household name at the moment, but she still is at her core an art-wave electronic dance maven.