With titles like Tower Of Babel and The Feast Of Saint Valentine, it’s obvious these aren’t your typical “love” odes. Natalie Merchant’s going for epic here. The music, at times featuring a small symphony orchestra, confirms as much. Not that the folk singer’s ever been a stranger to the classical genre.
One of the best songs has the oddest name; Come On Aphrodite. Merchant and guest Abena Koomson Davis sound silly whenever they say it, but the melodies are a delight. Other standouts include Sister Tilly; a lament; and a respectful albeit unwarranted cover of Lankum’s Hunting The Wren.
my rating : 3 of 5
2023