Natalie Merchant -"Ophelia" ** (out of four)
The packaging would have you believe we've got a reinvented Natalie Merchant
on our hands. Stocked with colorful, droll photos of the singer/songwriter in
Tracey Ullman-worthy guises--here's Natalie as sultry temptress, here as a
pious nun, here as a collegiate politico--we're supposed to figure she's
broadened her approach, slipping into a variety of musical characters, too.
Not so.
OK, Ophelia features a Tibetan funeral song, but the album reveals little
creative growth since Tigerlily in 1995--or since that last 10,000 Maniacs
album in 1993. Merchant is still fishing the same lukewarm pond, trolling for
more of the misty eyed sentiments that endearded her to a generation of dorm
room listeners.
It's not that her musical manner is bad, really -- there's something soothing
to be found the the warm melodies of songs like "Kind and Generous" or the
title track. It's just that....well, the forlorn horn in "Break Your Heart, "
the aching mumble of "Life is Sweet," the plaintive organ in "King of May"?
Been there, yawned at that.
By Brian McCollum, Free Press pop music critic
