James' Pick of the Week

Natalie Bergam -

Mercy

(Album link in image)

Best known as one-half of the genre-blurring sibling duo Wild Belle, Natalie Bergman looks inward and upward on her celestial debut, the aptly named Mercy. Written in the aftermath of the death of her father and stepmother, the 12-song set was conceived during Bergman's stay at a New Mexico monastery, where she struggled to make peace with her loss and ultimately reconnected with her faith. Released via Third Man Records, Bergman's take on gospel music traffics in a retro aesthetic that feels more in line with Nancy Sinatra or Amy Winehouse than it does Hillsong United. Opener "Talk to the Lord" sets the table, pairing fidgety bedroom indie pop with a soulful earworm chorus. "Shine Your Light on Me" and "I Will Praise You" follow suit, deftly juggling elements of reggae, Afrobeat, and soul, while the wobbly folk-gospel gem "The Gallows" suggests what the Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack might have sounded like had it been a David Lynch production. Bergman's unfussy delivery, simple melodies, and devotional lyrics combine well with the unpredictable nature of the arrangements, and the songs feel lived-in and raw with the blinding newness of despair and the relief of salvation. In looking to creation itself for comfort, she has tapped into a deep well of creativity, and as much as Mercy must have been painful to unearth, it has the kind of authoritative and transformative power that can only come from reaching the final stage of grief.

- James Christopher Monger of Allmusic.com

Release Date: May 7, 2021

Genre: Psychedelic Folk Gospel Pop

Label: Third Man Records