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!


"Motherland" is Natalie Merchant's Best Album So Far   November 17, 2001
Randall Caspersen (Chicago, Il)
13 out of 14 found this review helpful

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.


Merchant's willingness to experimment here pays off.   February 12, 2005
Jacqueline
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

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.




She's Nat a Maniac...This Girl's Got Moxie   June 4, 2002
M. Swinney (Flower Mound, TX)
16 out of 19 found this review helpful

"Kick off your boots, come and sit a spell. Listen to me worry, come and listen well." Ms. Merchant greets me with an Indian Middle Eastern tinged ska groove and a little bit of mystique to boot. I feel like I've grown up with Natalie Merchant. You know she was the one in high school drama club that had that off-the-wall sense of humor and the talent that no one in High School quite understands. She started early with the Maniacs in High School in fact, an artsy girl shy and singing from under a table in the recording studio. She's come a long way and developed, matured, expanding, a little of the edge is off, but it sounds so rich, as it does for the majority of songs here in Motherland.

If you're looking at just starting with Natalie Merchant, go get Tigerlilly...it's powerful and beautiful through and through. "Motherland" explores a variety of styles. It doesn't measure up to "Tigerlilly" but is solid with sounds as variegated from India, the Bluegrass/gospel from the deep South, Mediterranean Waltz, jazz and blues, Scottish highlands, Spanish acoustic, and you get the picture. Even though there are a variety of styles, Merchant's powerful voice threads a constant. Where "Motherland" bogs down though is the slower songs that seem directionless and just playing on instead of speaking to you. It doesn't delve to the level of Ophelia's netherlands, but there are a few that drag. This is not such a detractor that "Motherland" should be avoided. "Henry Dagger" for me though is a miss, sounding like a slow stab at Sinead O'Conner-land. It's slow and just isn't where Natalie's voice should be. But she strikes deep and rings true with "This House is on Fire," "Saint Judas," and "Build a Levee." She does Southern Bluegrass Gospel minor mystique with panache.

"All you better best come and lean in boys...soon come the day this tinderbox is gonna blow in your face." That's right Natalie, sing it true from Motherland. Coo, baby, coo...cool, cool, cool.


Motherland Showcases Merchant's Continuing Maturity   November 14, 2001
Timothy J. Slivinski (Toledo, Ohio)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

Those who may have too easily--and incorrectly--dismissed Natalie Merchant as a lightweight sort of pop diva will have more trouble with the release of Natalie's latest CD. "Motherland" is darker, more heavy lyrically and more ominous than the more pop-laden "Tigerlily" or the mellow and somewhat brooding "Ophelia," which was an outstanding CD. But this one is even better. Natalie's voice has become just a little bit deeper and richer. The lyrics of most of the CD's tracks deal with anger or bitterness, whether because of the mistreatment of women, loss in love or making unwise choices. "Tell Yourself" may be the CD's most paradoxical track; over a rather pop-sounding instrumental track, Merchant's lyrics speak about the many lies perpetrated by society and the media on women and their roles. "Just Can't Last" may be the most uplifting, despite its mention of hurting and being weighed down. For, as Natalie tells us, "it can't last"--and we believe her. "Put the Law on You" is a standout for, if nothing else, David Ralicke's tenor sax. Mavis Staples adds dpeth and counterpoint to Natalie's vocals on two cuts: "Saint Judas," a great indictment of bigotry in the guise of religious zealotry, and "Build A Levee," a great song about self-protection. "This House is on Fire" showcases Natalie's new richness of voice at its best, while "Golden Boy" asks us to contemplate the latest male rage out of tinseltown and what made him that way.

This is a CD of great depth and power; with each listen I find myself becoming more and more engrossed in the nuances of Natalie Merchant's lyrics. If you are expecting Top 40 hits and jangly melodies, they aren't here. But what is here is a CD of great depth that will easily stand up to repeated listenings and, in fact, grow on the listener until it becomes truly haunting. "Motherland" is a masterpiece for those willing to take the time to listen and to appreciate what it has to say.