THE FRONT ROW

Natalie Mering under her Weyes Blood moniker provides a powerful emotional punch in her fifth installment of dreamy soul pop.


‘It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody’ is a glorious display of slow and sprawling pop. Mering speaks of the anxieties of modern life, the mental struggles we all endure “To know that every wave might not be the same but it’s all a part of one big thing”. This gentle opener announces that we are in for an emotional ride.

‘Children Of The Empire’ is a song Win Butler can’t believe he’s not written. Sultry strings and a marching piano melody alongside a groove vocal pattern helps construct a sonically epic piece. Mering uses the empire as a metaphor of our individual mistakes and regrets that we want to separate ourselves from “Trying to break away From the mess we made”.


‘God Turn Me Into A Flower’ is a slow wistful cauldron of melancholia . Powerful enchanting vocals embedded in a natural botanical beauty; a sheer delight of musical bliss. The sleepy dream-like instrumentals envelop you as Mering displays her vulnerabilities; longing to be a stronger more perfect version of herself “You shatter easily and can’t pick up all those shards”.

‘Hearts Aglow’ continues proceedings, it’s a performative and theatrical piece starting with cascading waves; a smooth and tranquil beginning. Swept up in contemplativeness the track ebbs and flows slowly transcending into a beautiful epic song of love and pain . You feel every sinew of emotion emanating from Mering “Looking for love in all the wrong places”.

‘Twin Flame’ is impassioned power pop. The twin flame elluding to a soulmate that gives life meaning until their betrayal leaves you dumbfounded “Did I do something to wreck it all?” Mering solemnly toils with these thoughts and the pain is felt through her enchanting vocals. “You’re my twin flame and you got me so cold When you pulled away”

‘Worst Is Done’ is a clever deviation; a soulful pop ode that allows itself to be interpreted as reflection of the pandemic “It’s been a long, strange year”. Mering sings on top of a folk backdrop about the loss of identity after prolonged periods of pain and not knowing how to continue “But they say the worst is done And it’s time to go out Pick up where we left off from”. The song concludes with “we’re all so cracked after that”. A powerful emotional enditement of the human condition.


Nothing is rushed on ‘And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow’ each track, lengthy in its runtime, is its own voyage of exploration Natalie Mering thoroughly guiding us down every avenue before moving onto the next chapter. In spite of its themes of mental and emotional turmoil Weyes Blood have created a luscious headphone album. It’s a world of sound you want to be encased in. This album is a cohesive body of work that blissfully forages for new sonic territories, it’s a dower yet hopeful mood which results in a truly moving listening experience.


4.5/5

Key Track: Twin Flame