Weyes Blood
Titanic Rising
Sub Pop
American songwriter Natalie Mering has been making records under the name Weyes Blood (pronounced ‘wise’ blood) since she was in her teens. With her fourth album finding a home on Sub Pop records, she is no longer an artist that flies under the radar. Titanic Rising has been one of the most anticipated albums in the front half of the year thanks to the record’s preceding singles.
Having spent her youth singing in choirs, it is the otherworldly voice of Mering that is the biggest asset to the Weyes Blood sound. Coupled with her skills in conversational songwriting, Mering says that this latest record is what she would imagine Bob Seger meeting Enya would sound like. The results are even more appealing than that strange combination would imply.
The single Andromeda was released earlier this year, with its string-laden charms leading to people salivating for the album. Even more melodically superior is Everyday with its jaunty take on modern dating and intimacy. It has all the trappings of a classic pop tune and calls out for repeated listens. It is a song that is bound to feature highly on people’s end of year lists.
Movies sits closer to the dream pop genre than the rest of the record and serves to further reinforce Mering’s choral chops. The second half of the album is a slower burn, with the tunes given more room to breathe and Mering takes a more melancholic tone. Picture Me Better has Mering’s voice sitting on a string arrangement that is somewhere between Disney and Bacharach. Crisp production and crystal clear piano are the hallmarks of an album that’s perfectly arranged.
Titanic Rising is a masterclass in baroque pop that could see Weyes Blood affectionately considered the musical equivalent of Father John Misty’s better half.
CHRIS HAVERCROFT
