Natalie Merchant picked the perfect time to make her comeback. It’s been nine years since her last solo album and the former 10,000 Maniacs lead singer leans into gothic chamber pop in this song cycle about, as she puts it, the journey of a courageous heart.

She also says “The songs were recorded during the global pandemic, it has been a period of great flux and fear on every level. But this is not about the chaos it caused this is an album about the human heart.”

With references to Aphrodite, Narcissus, the Tower of Babel and Saint Valentine, Merchant’s lyrics are the perfect match for the low key  instrumentation that also includes collaborations with Abena Koomson-Davis, the Celtic folk group Lunasa,  Syrian virtuoso clarinetist and jazz trombonist Steve Davis.

As each song begins simply and adds layers of orchestration, these folk rock ballads build into a tidal wave of rich, jubilant emotion. With Merchant’s trademark alto vocals, “Keep Your Courage” is a warm welcome back from this enigmatic artist.

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