Natalie Merchant - Motherland
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Free Music Notes for Motherland
Free Music Review: Natalie, you go girl! Rock on!
Hit: 5 Stars
= Natalie is da bomb! You go girl!Reviewer: Chris from Michigan
Ms. Merchant has one of the most wonderful voices that I have ever heard as well as a gifted lyricist and one of music's most political and underrated artists. But, for us true Natalie Merchant fans, we know that she doesn't need promotion such as Britney Spears and the other boy bands who really can't even sing, its just annoying to me. Let me tell you something ya'll, Natalie sure can belt out these wonderful gospel/bluesy songs such as "St. Judas" and "Build a Levee". I love the road that she takes us with Motherland, such different styles, (This House is On Fire - arabesque and reggae at the same time) -- , her usual 2 pop songs ("Just Can't Last") and ("Tell Yourself") as well as a chamber music piece which I really don't care for, but good effort anyway, and many other different styles that differs from her usual balladry and such.
This album is just as strong as Tigerlily and Ophelia, and again, I am pleased with the direction that she took, as Natalie continues to grow deeper and mature with her music, and I can tell that she is very comfortable singing these songs. This album nourishes the soul, and I will recommend this album to everybody and I think ya'll should too.
Free Music Review: The Perfect Album for the Mature in music tastes
Hit: 5 Stars
I have loved Natalie Merchant's solo work ever since her 1995 release of Tigerlily, which was a huge hit, and eventually went quadruple platinum and peaked in the top 20. Most of the stuff on that one was radio friendly, with Jealousy, Wonder, and Carnival (peak #10) and was generally a good album, but left me dissatisfied because it could have been alot better. She later released Ophelia, a more mature album, with a minor radio hit "Kind and Generous". On this CD, we can surely see Natalie's maturity. Just look at the CD cover. There is so much experimentation on this album and keeps a somber tone throughout. There are instruments on the CD that i never thought Natalie in a thousand years would use in her album. She has seperated herself from the mediocrity of so called "has beens" and usually an artist will put out other cd's that dont even pass the line of mediocrity. I was afraid that was the path she would take, but I'm glad she has decided to take risks on this CD and make something truly remarkable. Already one of my top 10 albums of the year. But only mature tastes will like this, those that are over britney spears or linkin park. This is true, organic music, the way music should be.Free Music Review: Suprisingly soulful.
Hit: 5 Stars
I didn't use to care much for Natalie Merchant's music but one listen to 'Motherland' and I've been forced to do a complete about turn.Motherland is the work of a quality songwriter, who clearly excells at what she does - which is to write smart, life-affirming, and beautiful music, and if you're looking for an album that has sustained excellence from opening to close then look no further. Merchant doesn't seem to suffer from self-indulgence now, instead there is a clear-eyed wisdom and simplicity of expression which shows her maturation as a songwriter I believe, though she can also challenge the listener with an impassioned song such as 'Saint Judas'. 'Put the Law on You' and 'Build a Levee' both carry irresistable grooves and memorable hooks while 'Tell Yourself' is a slice of perfect pop. But 'Just Can't Last' is for me the highlight, it's a stunning song with an opening chord sequence so good it must have been lifted from heaven. Merchant has always had the ability to hit upon some universal truths and insights but this time she has the musical backbone to lift her songcraft to a new level.
Unquestionably, Motherland has been a successful outing for an artist that sounds inspired right now.
Free Music Review: ONE OF HER BEST
Hit: 5 Stars
I know some people worship the ground Natalie Merchant walks on (ME) and some people can't stand her. But I always try to get those people to see things my way. You don't have to agree with her so called pompousness, or her political views. But how can one argue that she writes beautiful, often times breathtaking music? This album came out shortly after 9/11 and I saw her in Philly right before the cd's release. She was, as always wonderful. This cd is different than her others in that her she is soulful and bluesy on most of the cuts. There are others such as "Not In This Life" and "Tell Yourself" that hark back to her earlier solo work and her work with the Maniacs. "I'm Not Gonna Beg" and "Do I Have to Put the Law On You" represent the bluesy side of the record. "Just Can't Last" was the single and is one of her best. I wish radio would have gotten behind this more than they did. This really is one of her best. But really if somebody asked me to point out one of her worst, I would be dumbfounded. There are none.Free Music Review: Luscious, Firm, Catchy, and Complex
Hit: 5 Stars
I've not given this the sort of "full listening to" that will yield further insights, but I don't need to listen any further to determine whether this is just a very good album or a truly great one - it's a win/win situation. The first three songs are harmonious in ways I would not have expected from Natalie Merchant, and seem to contain a distinctly worldly touch (the second and third have a nice banjo(?) thread of melody). The several songs that follow are stylistically varied, but rich with entertainment value in the same way that songs from Love & Theft earlier this year were - perhaps a little more catchy. The latter stages to me are the true question mark. They seem more somber and esoteric, and thus require more listening to to yearn what they are about.
This album is more upbeat than her previous two, which at first seemed like an awfully dangerous move. Brave and beautiful is more like it. As much as I like ophelia, at the moment I have to give the nod to this one as superior.