Natalie Bergman albums

2021

Mercy - 91%

               One of the first albums I loved this year was this one probably because it was such a surprise to me but also the fact it was an album based on mainly Christian Songs, it was on the Third Man Records label not known for this type of thing, and it was based on a personal tragedy. I had heard Bergman’s previous band Wild Belle and their brand of faux reggae was not really my thing though they do have some decent songs. But wow, nearly every song on this album tugs at the heart strings in some way, whether it be the playful nature of “You Make My World Go Around”, the hippy tribute to the desert that is “Paint the Rain”, or the easy-going nature of “Sweet Mary”. The album harnesses the sound of early 1960’s girl-groups soul on “Shine Your Light on Me” which is surely the melodic highlight of the album. “He Will Lift You Up” is somehow meaningful and catchy at the same time.

               There is also an element of sadness present reflecting on her father’s passing, the grower of a tune “Home at Last” where Bergman’s vocals perhaps shine the brightest; the quirky ballad “Talk to the Lord” which makes a point of equating prayer and worship to serenity and gratification. “The Gallows” could be a hymn in a church pew and it illustrates the timelessness of the songs Bergman comes up on this album. More so than anything, the way all of these songs- some full of happy energy and some full of heartbreaking sadness- all complement each other is subtle but astonishing. Closer “Last Farewell” is the most despairing album ending I have heard in quite some time, but it totally earns it. It is a song cycle that can be put on shuffle and work or played in album order and work even better. Bergman took the tragedy of her father’s death and made a truly artful experience out of it, something many people try to accomplish but few actually do.

Best Songs: Shine Your Light On Me, Home at Last, Last Farewell, Paint the Rain