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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
All you expect and then some more, November 18, 2001
The third solo album by Natalie Merchant, Motherland, is what a typical Natalie Merchant fan might hope to discover: a fine balance between Natalie's proven musical styles and enough experimentation to whet your whistle and make you wonder what else she has up her sleeve. Motherland has reminded me why I'm such a fan of Natalie Merchant. On this album, Natalie's singular voice is at its best, sounding pristine and smooth on every song. Her songwriting is equally inviting: she has crafted twelve songs with moving, meaningful lyrics that are presented through compelling musical compositions. This is not bubble gum pop; it's an album with meat that will leave the serious listener satisfied. As for the individual songs on Motherland, all have something to offer and are worth the listen. Each song contributes to the cumulative musical strength of this album. My personal favorites, however, are the melancholy title track; the soulful, haunting "Saint Judas"; the softly satirical "Golden Boy"; the beautifully simple "Henry Darger"; the reassuring and rhythmic "Just Can't Last"; the melodic and graceful "Not In This Life"; and the unique, African-influenced "This House Is On Fire". In my opinion, Motherland reaffirms Natalie Merchant's place among the finest musicians today. The album is excellent, and I highly recommend it to you!
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Motherland" is Natalie Merchant's Best Album So Far, November 17, 2001
Too often, Natalie Merchant is criticized for being too moody, too depressed and too pretentious. To many of us, she is too wonderful. Beyond that otherworldy voice, her music offers many gifts and MOTHERLAND advances that tradition as much as any fan or even casual music listener could hope. "This House Is On Fire" and "The Worst Thing" suggest that Merchant has began to dip into the well of Arabic rhythms and Spanish-flavored classical guitar, respectively. "Saint Judas" and "Build A Levee" make good on her debut album's promise that she can sing the blues (see TIGERLILY's track: "San Andreas Fault") with conviction and passion. The album ending "I'm Not Gonna Beg" is both languid country and subversively gospel. Even her very-OPHELIAesque tracks "Henry Darger", "Golden Boy" and the timely, gorgeous title track are bolder than that album's beautiful, haunted chamber music. Perhaps producer T Bone Burnett is responsible for breathing a little space and adventure into Natalie's soundscape (both of the earlier solo studio albums were self-produced) and MOTHERLAND glows with his attention. Too often, Merchant's radio hits have felt a bit compromised. OPHELIA's "Kind & Generous" was catchy and nice but lyrically slight. TIGERLILY's "Jealousy" always seemed like just a lark in the Merchant canon (she never performs it anymore) and even that album's biggest hit, "Carnival", works much better live where Merchant's whirling dervish antics distract from the band's often irritating percussion. It is with great relief that two of MOTHERLAND's most commercial tracks are two of its best. "Just Can't Last", already an Adult Top 40 favorite, provides the melodic uplift of "Wonder" while plainly updating the helping hand sentiments of her 10,000 Maniacs' song, "Trouble Me". And "Tell Yourself", a semi-sequel to Merchant's own sweeping "Life is Sweet", is Natalie at her most political while being her most personal. When she sings, "Tell yourself that you're not pretty, look at you, you're beautiful", it is a pop music revelation simply because it identifies beauty in the listener instead of the singer. MOTHERLAND, like all of Merchant's work, tends to grow richer, more endearing with each listen. Merchant herself thinks it's her best album so far and, while it may very well be, I would dread ever having to make that choice.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Merchant's willingness to experimment here pays off., February 12, 2005
This album is just beautiful, end to end, there is not a single track I skip, I understand that not all of this album is going to appeal to everybody but you should still give it a try.
Merchant's voice has aged beautifully and she hasn't been this blatently political since 1989's Blind Man's Zoo with her formmer band 10,000 Maniacs.
This album will probably not appeal and might even offend Republican Zealots, with it's lyrics frequently implying a failed America, especially on This House Is On Fire, Motherland and Saint Judas but to those with open minds ans open hearts this is a facinating listen.
Merchant's music is far more experimental here than it has ever been, particularly in her career as a solo artist. In 10,000 Maniacs there were certianly tinges of reggae, punk (especially on The Wishing Chair and Hope Chest) and folk but until now she has stuck to the formula of piano ballards and standard radio-friendly rock-pop, not that her previous work wasn't good, brilliant even it is just that Motherland is an entirely different creature to Ophelia and Tigerlily.
The opening track This House Is On Fire, written during the WTO Protests and the mess of the 2000 presidential elections has a haunting arabic/north african arrangement featuring heavily what I believe is a violin or similar string instrument and a almost trip-hop (Think Portishead's 1994 classic Dummy) beat underneath.
The second, title track Motherland is deceptively simple upon first listen both musically and lyrically, it initally seems uplifiting but is really more about America's failures than it's sucesses as exmpilified in the lines It's your happiness I want most of all/and for that I'd do anything at all, oh mercy me!/
If you want the best of it or the most of all, if there's anything I can do at all./Now come on shot gun bride what makes me envy your life?/Faceless, nameless, innocent, blameless and free,/ what's that like to be? Musically upon subsequent listens new instruments literally seem to jump out at you, most noticable though is a accordian, apparently played by the legendary Van Dyke Parkes.
The next two tracks Saint Judas and Buid Yourself a Levee are classic R&B, not in the style of Missy Elliot of whoever is passing as R&B nowdays but the real R&B my dad plays over and over, like Aretha Franklin. Mavis Staples sings back-up on both these tracks, one telling the tale of lynchings in the south in the 30's and the other a warning to a girl, I guess all girls really about the dangers of en and falling in love, Staples voice compliments Merchant's perfectly.
Put The Law On You is a straight-up torch song, musically simplisitc compared to the offering here but vocally deep and rich showing a never before seen and very welcome side to Merchant's music, she seemms to really be having fun here despite the song's typically somber lyrics.
Golden Boy is haunting, musically siilar to Motherland it is a scathing attack of the media's willingness to make celebrities of murderers and other criminals.
Henry Darger is a piano ballard, typical Merchant in the music department but what is far more beguiling here is that for whatever reason she chooses to sing the tale of this odd man in a soprano as opposed to her usual alto, it works.
The Worst Thing is one of the more interesting songs musically speaking, it has classical guitars and flamenco rythms shimmmering through it, Merchant even sings some of the lyrics that tromp over well-worn ground in Spanish.
Tell Yourself is a song that should be played in every 8th grade PE class, it adresses the body image of young girls and makes a very vaild point without preaching, it is one of three songs on this albu that are signature Merchant in both lyrical content and usical style but there is a reason Merchan vists this structure over and over again. It works.
It Just Can't Last, this album's main single is classic Merchant, brilliant cllassic Merchant but if I was forced to pick a weak link on this album it would be this, that is by no mans saying that it is bad, even by Merchant standrds it is good, but it seems like it was put here with the sole intention of being the single.
Not In This Life sounds a lot like she has taken everything she has learnt from her previous albums and pressed it into the classic Merchant mold, again it works well.
The album closer, I'm Not Gonna Beg is a folk/country ballard that is a perfect ending to a near perfect album that is at once comfortable and new and completely deserving of a five star rating.
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Natalie Merchant shares her favorite music with Amazon customers. See all artists' picks on our Music You Should Hear page.
~ Natalie Merchant
~ Natalie Merchant
~ 10,000 Maniacs
~ Natalie Merchant
~ 10,000 Maniacs
by Natalie Merchant 
