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Natalie Merchant is marketed as the successor to 2001's Motherland, suggesting it's Merchant's first album since, but that isn't strictly true. She independently released a collection of folk covers called The House Carpenter's Daughter in 2003 and, most notably, the ambitious double-disc neo-children's album Leave Your Sleep in 2010 -- distinctive work both but she hasn't dedicated herself fully to original material in 13 years, so Natalie Merchant is indeed noteworthy. Feeling neither pent-up nor fussy, the eponymous album is handsome, deliberate, and familiar; she's not picking up where she left off, she's merely resuming her career, not acting like any time or fashion has passed in her absence. Which isn't to say Merchant operates as if it's still her '90s heyday. She obliquely references Hurricane Katrina with "Go Down, Moses," but the strongest evidence that Merchant knows perfectly well it's 2014 is how she embraces her middle age. Even at the start of her career, Merchant aspired to sound wise and old and now that she's reached 50, she's exceedingly comfortable in her skin, never rushing her tempos, luxuriating in lush orchestral arrangements that are rarely Baroque and often find a nice contrast with softer, folkier moments, choosing to be melodic while studiously avoiding direct hooks. Natalie Merchant is not a progression so much as a deepening and, as such, it offers a quiet comfort for anyone who has ever loved her music.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Natalie Merchant, Producer, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Shawn Pelton, Drums - Jeremy McCoy, Double Bass - John Patitucci, Double Bass - Stephen Barber, Arranger - John Medeski, Organ - Lisa Kim, Violin - Alan Stepansky, Cello - Robert Rinehart, Viola - Sharon Yamada, Violin - Uri Sharlin, Piano - Vivek Kamath, Viola - George Cowan, RecordingEngineer - Jesse Murphy, Bass - Liz Lim, Violin - Gabriel Gordon, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar - Erik Della Penna, Electric Guitar - Kabir Hermon, AssistantEngineer - Quan Ge, Violin - Eli Walker, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Wei Yu, Cello - Elizabeth Bauer, AssistantEngineer - john horne, AssistantEngineer - Tamar-Kali, Backing Vocals - Johanna Warren, Backing Vocals - Simi Stone, Backing Vocals - Alex Nappi, AssistantEngineer - Bella Blasko, AssistantEngineer - Sein Ryu, Violin - Johanna Maurer, Violin
© 2013 Nonesuch Records Inc. ℗ 2014 Big City Sister, Inc. Exclusively licensed to Nonesuch Records Inc. for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Natalie Merchant, Producer, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Shawn Pelton, Drums - John Medeski, Keyboards - Uri Sharlin, Electric Piano - George Cowan, RecordingEngineer - Jesse Murphy, Bass - Elizabeth Mitchell, Backing Vocals - Gabriel Gordon, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar - Erik Della Penna, Electric Guitar - Kabir Hermon, AssistantEngineer - Eli Walker, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Elizabeth Bauer, AssistantEngineer - john horne, AssistantEngineer - Johanna Warren, Backing Vocals - Alex Nappi, AssistantEngineer - Bella Blasko, AssistantEngineer
© 2013 Nonesuch Records Inc. ℗ 2014 Big City Sister, Inc. Exclusively licensed to Nonesuch Records Inc. for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Natalie Merchant, Producer, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Gabriel Gordon, Acoustic Guitar - Erik Della Penna, Lap Steel Guitar - Kabir Hermon, AssistantEngineer - Andrew Barr, Drums - Marc Friedman, Bass - Eli Walker, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Elizabeth Bauer, AssistantEngineer - john horne, AssistantEngineer - Alex Nappi, AssistantEngineer - Bella Blasko, AssistantEngineer - Paul Antonell, RecordingEngineer
© 2013 Nonesuch Records Inc. ℗ 2014 Big City Sister, Inc. Exclusively licensed to Nonesuch Records Inc. for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Natalie Merchant, Producer, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Shawn Pelton, Drums - John Medeski, Organ - Uri Sharlin, Piano - Clark Gayton, Arranger, Trombone, Tuba - Eddie Allen, Flugelhorn, Trumpet - George Cowan, RecordingEngineer - Jesse Murphy, Bass - Gabriel Gordon, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar - Erik Della Penna, Electric Guitar - Kabir Hermon, AssistantEngineer - Corliss Stafford, Vocals - Eli Walker, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Elizabeth Bauer, AssistantEngineer - john horne, AssistantEngineer - Simi Stone, Backing Vocals - Alex Nappi, AssistantEngineer - Bella Blasko, AssistantEngineer
© 2013 Nonesuch Records Inc. ℗ 2014 Big City Sister, Inc. Exclusively licensed to Nonesuch Records Inc. for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Natalie Merchant, Producer, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Shawn Pelton, Drums - Uri Sharlin, Accordion - Clark Gayton, Trombone, Tuba - Eddie Allen, Flugelhorn, Trumpet - Jesse Murphy, Acoustic Bass - Gabriel Gordon, Acoustic Guitar - Erik Della Penna, Lap Steel Guitar - Kabir Hermon, AssistantEngineer - Eli Walker, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Elizabeth Bauer, AssistantEngineer - john horne, AssistantEngineer - Alex Nappi, AssistantEngineer - Bella Blasko, AssistantEngineer
© 2013 Nonesuch Records Inc. ℗ 2014 Big City Sister, Inc. Exclusively licensed to Nonesuch Records Inc. for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Natalie Merchant, Producer, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Shawn Pelton, Drums - Jeremy McCoy, Double Bass - Lisa Kim, Violin - Alan Stepansky, Cello - Robert Rinehart, Viola - Sharon Yamada, Violin - George Cowan, RecordingEngineer - Jesse Murphy, Bass - Liz Lim, Violin - Kurt Muroki, Double Bass - Elizabeth Mitchell, Backing Vocals - Gabriel Gordon, Electric Guitar - Kabir Hermon, AssistantEngineer - Kyle Armbrust, Viola - Tony Finno, Arranger - Quan Ge, Violin - Ru Pei Yeh, Cello - Eli Walker, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Elizabeth Bauer, AssistantEngineer - john horne, AssistantEngineer - Johanna Warren, Backing Vocals - Alex Nappi, AssistantEngineer - Bella Blasko, AssistantEngineer - Nadege Foofat, Arranger - Sein Ryu, Violin - Johanna Maurer, Violin
© 2013 Nonesuch Records Inc. ℗ 2014 Big City Sister, Inc. Exclusively licensed to Nonesuch Records Inc. for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Natalie Merchant, Producer, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Steve Elson, Clarinet, Saxophone - Shawn Pelton, Drums - Uri Sharlin, Electric Piano - George Cowan, RecordingEngineer - Jesse Murphy, Bass - Gabriel Gordon, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar - Erik Della Penna, Electric Guitar - Kabir Hermon, AssistantEngineer - Eli Walker, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Elizabeth Bauer, AssistantEngineer - john horne, AssistantEngineer - Alex Nappi, AssistantEngineer - Bella Blasko, AssistantEngineer
© 2013 Nonesuch Records Inc. ℗ 2014 Big City Sister, Inc. Exclusively licensed to Nonesuch Records Inc. for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Natalie Merchant, Producer, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - George Cowan, RecordingEngineer - Gabriel Gordon, Electric Guitar - Erik Della Penna, Electric Guitar - Kabir Hermon, AssistantEngineer - Andrew Barr, Drums - Marc Friedman, Bass - Eli Walker, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Elizabeth Bauer, AssistantEngineer - john horne, AssistantEngineer - Alex Nappi, AssistantEngineer - Bella Blasko, AssistantEngineer - Jonathan Dreyden, Organ
© 2013 Nonesuch Records Inc. ℗ 2014 Big City Sister, Inc. Exclusively licensed to Nonesuch Records Inc. for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Natalie Merchant, Producer, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Stephen Barber, Arranger - Lisa Kim, Violin - Alan Stepansky, Cello - Robert Rinehart, Viola - Sharon Yamada, Violin - Kenny Wollesen, Drums, Percussion - Uri Sharlin, Piano, Upright Piano - Jesse Murphy, Tuba, Acoustic Bass - Anthony McGill, Clarinet - Gabriel Gordon, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar - Marc Goldberg, Bassoon - Erik Della Penna, Acoustic Guitar - Kabir Hermon, AssistantEngineer - Eli Walker, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Elizabeth Bauer, AssistantEngineer - john horne, AssistantEngineer - Alex Nappi, AssistantEngineer - Bella Blasko, AssistantEngineer - Mindy Kaufmann, Flute
© 2013 Nonesuch Records Inc. ℗ 2014 Big City Sister, Inc. Exclusively licensed to Nonesuch Records Inc. for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Natalie Merchant, Producer, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Stephen Barber, Arranger - Lisa Kim, Violin - Alan Stepansky, Cello - Robert Rinehart, Viola - Sharon Yamada, Violin - Kenny Wollesen, Drums, Percussion - Uri Sharlin, Piano, Upright Piano - Jesse Murphy, Tuba, Acoustic Bass - Anthony McGill, Clarinet - Gabriel Gordon, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar - Marc Goldberg, Bassoon - Erik Della Penna, Acoustic Guitar - Kabir Hermon, AssistantEngineer - Eli Walker, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Elizabeth Bauer, AssistantEngineer - john horne, AssistantEngineer - Alex Nappi, AssistantEngineer - Bella Blasko, AssistantEngineer - Mindy Kaufmann, Flute
© 2013 Nonesuch Records Inc. ℗ 2014 Big City Sister, Inc. Exclusively licensed to Nonesuch Records Inc. for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Natalie Merchant, Producer, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Jeremy McCoy, Double Bass - Lisa Kim, Violin - Alan Stepansky, Cello - Robert Rinehart, Viola - Sharon Yamada, Violin - George Cowan, RecordingEngineer - Liz Lim, Violin - Kurt Muroki, Double Bass - Kabir Hermon, AssistantEngineer - Joanna Maurer, Violin - Kyle Armbrust, Viola - Tony Finno, Arranger - Quan Ge, Violin - Ru Pei Yeh, Cello - Eli Walker, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Elizabeth Bauer, AssistantEngineer - john horne, AssistantEngineer - Alex Nappi, AssistantEngineer - Bella Blasko, AssistantEngineer - Nadege Foofat, Arranger - Sein Ryu, Violin
© 2013 Nonesuch Records Inc. ℗ 2014 Big City Sister, Inc. Exclusively licensed to Nonesuch Records Inc. for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Album review
Natalie Merchant is marketed as the successor to 2001's Motherland, suggesting it's Merchant's first album since, but that isn't strictly true. She independently released a collection of folk covers called The House Carpenter's Daughter in 2003 and, most notably, the ambitious double-disc neo-children's album Leave Your Sleep in 2010 -- distinctive work both but she hasn't dedicated herself fully to original material in 13 years, so Natalie Merchant is indeed noteworthy. Feeling neither pent-up nor fussy, the eponymous album is handsome, deliberate, and familiar; she's not picking up where she left off, she's merely resuming her career, not acting like any time or fashion has passed in her absence. Which isn't to say Merchant operates as if it's still her '90s heyday. She obliquely references Hurricane Katrina with "Go Down, Moses," but the strongest evidence that Merchant knows perfectly well it's 2014 is how she embraces her middle age. Even at the start of her career, Merchant aspired to sound wise and old and now that she's reached 50, she's exceedingly comfortable in her skin, never rushing her tempos, luxuriating in lush orchestral arrangements that are rarely Baroque and often find a nice contrast with softer, folkier moments, choosing to be melodic while studiously avoiding direct hooks. Natalie Merchant is not a progression so much as a deepening and, as such, it offers a quiet comfort for anyone who has ever loved her music.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 11 track(s)
- Total length: 00:49:04
- 1 Digital booklet
- Main artists: Natalie Merchant
- Label: Nonesuch
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
© 2013 Nonesuch Records Inc. ℗ 2013 Nonesuch Records Inc.
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