Annie Clarke—stage-named St. Vincent—writes the rarest of love songs, the kind that actually sound a lot like love. Sweet without being cloying, honest but not affected, "All My Stars Aligned" is one such tune from her smashing debut, Marry Me.

The gliding arrangement of Clarke's jazz-informed chords and guest pianist Mike Garson's keys recall George Gershwin, of all people. Let's hear your average indie pop princess pull that off.

Clarke's delicate vocal, especially here when backed by an old-timey chorus, could score a classic Disney fairytale. Yet it seems every silvery St. Vincent cloud comes with a darker lining: on "All My Stars Aligned", it's the minor key bridge ("There are no stars aligned/No amulets no charms/To bring you back to my arms,") where she contemplates the pendulum swinging the other way; a brief, uncertain moment familiar to anyone in love.