St. Vincent, “Todos Nacen Gritando.”

How do you reinvent a nearly perfect album? St. Vincent’s Todos Nacen Gritando, the Spanish-language version of April’s All Born Screaming, offers a fascinating answer.

Translating an album is no small feat. As any linguist will tell you, what works in one language doesn’t always translate directly into another. Many, from Christina Aguilera to ABBA, have recorded Spanish versions of their albums, each grappling with how to stay true to the original while adapting to the nuances of another language.

With Todos Nacen Gritando, Annie Clark takes a bold step to connect with Spanish-speaking fans. Inspired by audiences singing along in perfect English at shows across Latin America and Spain, she enlisted longtime collaborator Alan Del Rio Ortiz to help with translation. They preserved the melody and meaning of each song without sacrificing the essence of the originals.

Todos Nacen Gritando maintains the introspective themes that made All Born Screaming so resonant. But here, the tone softens, taking on an ethereal quality that highlights the universality of its themes: love, loss and resilience.

Clark’s ability to deliver these songs with emotional authenticity is especially impressive, considering she isn’t a native Spanish speaker. The language’s syllabic structure means that each syllable is given roughly equal weight. English, meanwhile, emphasizes certain syllables, stretching them out. This difference in rhythm shapes how the new album’s songs feel.

On “El Infierno Está Cerca” (“Hell is Near”), for example, St. Vincent’s rounded vowels and fuller, more open tones lend the song an almost suspended quality. This subtle shift transforms the track by giving it a haunting, dreamlike atmosphere.

The linguistic choices add depth as well. On “Hombre Roto” (“Broken Man”), when Clark sings, “Tienes que clavar el clavo” (“You have to drive the nail”), the phrasing and alliteration carries a raw, guttural intensity that amplifies the song’s emotional weight.

Similarly, industrial head-banger “Salvaje” (“Reckless”) captures the primal energy of the original without losing its edge. There’s no exact Spanish translation for “reckless,” so the song becomes “wild” or “savage,” amping up the ferocity. Clark growls through jagged consonants that match the grit of the music.

Songs like “Se Fue La Luz” (“Power’s Out”) actually take on new life in Spanish. The refrain “En el metro” (“In the subway”) becomes softer and more tender with an emotional resonance that surpasses the original. The song’s shift from the English version’s stark directness to a melancholic Spanish interpretation is haunting, especially as it closes with the heartbreaking line, “Y por eso nunca volví” (“And that’s why I never returned”).

The dedication of St. Vincent to this project is evident in moments where the translation borders on genius. “El Mero Cero,” a brilliant adaption of “Big Nothing,” captures the original’s wry nihilism while using tight rhyme to maintain its rhythmic integrity. And while her accent is noticeable, the emotion that comes through more than makes up for any linguistic rough edges.

Throughout Todos Nacen Gritando, Clark’s mezzo-soprano shifts between the delicacy of a classical voice and the rawness of a rock performance. The balance of lyrics, music and rhythm ensures that the Spanish version delivers the same artistic vision as the original. There are delicious parts on “Pulga” (“Flea”) where her delivery of “Te daré carne” (“I will give you meat”) has a visceral, almost tactile quality. There’s a satisfying weight to these Spanish words that adds to the song’s impact.

One of the most successful tracks on the album is the titular “Todos Nacen Gritando” (“All Born Screaming”). The choir backing St. Vincent sounds remarkably unified, and her phrasing feels more assured; almost as if this was the anchor that inspired her approach.

By reinventing the album for a Spanish-speaking audience, St. Vincent honors both her fans and her own artistic vision. Todos Nacen Gritando offers an album that feels simultaneously familiar and fresh. It’s a testament to Clark’s meticulousness and willingness to embrace creative challenges.

Her focused efforts have created memorable, transcendent moments that again show St. Vincent as a creative force of nature.

On one of the album’s slower songs, “Tiempos Violentos,” she sings the verse—“Eres la misma/ pero tengo ojos nuevos” (“You’re the same/ But I got different eyes”). It reminded me of her refrain more than a decade prior: “I’m just the same but brand new to you.”