Natalie Merchant

"That voice. I mean, THAT VOICE. As soon as this one hit the trusty Dansette the washing machine screeched to a halt, Sam the cat pirouetted in with a tray of champagne on his head, the noisy chavs outside stopped killing one another and a beatific tranquility descended on all mankind. Only Natalie Merchant can do this. This is her sixth solo album since she dispensed with the 10,000 Maniacs safety net, her first of original material for thirteen years and, drawing on her often hidden soulful and bluesy streak, it is rather fine ... Rueful break-up songs mingle with philosophical themes of defiance, regret and self-preservation as chunky arrangements fitfully blend into poignant beauty amid (snare drums and all) the bitter reflectiveness of Seven Deadly Sins (...); and, following a wonderfully incongruous jazz band intro, the cinematic narrative of Lulu that glides into a blissful orgy of strings ... You worry about Natalie's state of mind sometimes but her artistryremainsformidable".