Pure Poetry

As most of you know, I tend to post new, relatively obscure bands and musicians. This week, I’m going to make an exception. I recently heard an interview with Natalie Merchant discussing her latest recording and I was very impressed. Natalie was the driving force behind 10,000 Maniacs and has had a successful solo career since the group broke up in 1995. However, she hasn’t released anything in seven years, and her latest, Leave Your Sleep is a dandy.

She sets poems, rhymes, and lullabies to music, with great success. The words are taken from the likes of Ogden Nash, e.e. cummings, Robert Graves, and traditional English and American sources. The instrumentation is a diverse musical odyssey, ranging from The Wynton Marsalis Orchestra and Klezmer, to Appalachian folk and Celtic music. And leading it all is the rich, mature voice of Natalie herself. It’s a two-disc set well worth waiting for.

P.S. If you like what you hear, do a search for Natalie Merchant Leave Your Sleep on youtube. There are many songs including a 30 minute concert of featuring music from the cd.