Album Review: Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising
Under the moniker Weyes Blood (or some variation of that name), Natalie Mering has been slowly refining her songwriting craft for the better part of a decade. After a history of performing and recording with multiple underground bands, her debut solo album (2011's The Outside Room) began a steady climb in both talent and ambition for the Californian art pop artist. Ambition is the key factor which most immediately sets her apart from her peers (and what led her to actually submerge herself and a room to create the album cover, instead of doing it digitally); now on her fourth solo project, her grand soundscapes and diverse musical palette have finally blossomed into what is undeniably an astounding work of art. From the very first track, Titanic Rising grabs the listener by the collar and drags them down into its murky depths, its siren song all too alluring in its promise of melancholy splendor.
To pick out this record's influences, both contemporary and otherwise, is almost unavoidable, even if the sound presented here is ultimately distinct in its blend of baroque pop with other, more ambient styles. The less oppressive tracks like Something to Believe give Mering room to sing with all the poetics of Joni Mitchell, while the dense atmosphere drowning much of the album's first half is reminiscent of Julia Holter's more radical projects. Even on the nostalgic A Lot's Gonna Change, as the lead vocals battle against waves of piano, strings, and reverb, Mering can blend effortlessly with the ocean of sound surrounding her as she croons "Born in a century, lost to memories/Falling trees, get off your knees" while waiting until the hushed ending to slip in a seed of doubt: "Let me change my words/Show me where it hurts".
Meanwhile, Everyday is practically a Beach Boys track, able to go toe-to-toe with any of the catchiest moments of Pet Sounds and whimsically nautical with lines like "Sailing off on the ships to nowhere." Still, Mering's clearly palpable unease floats to the surface of the upbeat, piano-driven melody, quipping "True love is making a comeback/For only half of us, the rest just feel bad" and pondering the prospect of "the end of monogamy". Movies plays with Mering's clear love of cinema as a lens to examine how media affects one's perception of real life: "Some people feel what some people don't/Some people watch until they explode/The meaning of life doesn't seem to shine like that screen". At first highlighting subtle, muted synth arpeggios, the track halfway through dissolves into nothing but a frantic string melody before slowly rebuilding with the help of distorted backing vocals, all while Mering's voice echoes in and out with vague desires of wanting to 'be the star of her own movie'.
As delicate and emotional as the quieter moments on Titanic Rising are, it's hard to prefer their elegance over the sheer grandeur of cuts like Andromeda and Wild Time. Though the singing on Picture Me Better is quite eloquent, the lyrics rarely rise above the generic love song tropes, the production stripped bare of any swelling emotion. Also included in the track list are two succinct instrumental breaks, perhaps intended to sum up each half of the record yet failing to develop any new ideas. The juxtaposition of both the ambient and traditional elements of the album is somewhat clever (albeit best displayed in the opening moments of Andromeda), yet fails to leave enough of an impression to function as anything more than weak culminations of previously exhibited themes.
To create a work of art this imaginative, as sprawling and unfathomable as the endless expanse of the sea, would be an admirable feat in its own right. But Weyes Blood tethers each leg of the journey together with carefully articulated themes, empathetic messaging, and her uniquely captivating style of misery, all talents she has patiently honed in preparation for an album this magnificent. Titanic Rising evokes all the most beautiful crests of baroque pop and art pop from those genres' history while simultaneously adding Mering's own personal flair, creating one of the most refreshing musical experiences in recent memory.
9/10
Favourite Tracks: Andromeda, Everyday, Movies, Wild Time
https://open.spotify.com/album/53VKICyqCf91sVkTdFrzKX