Weyes Blood, aka Natalie Mering, appears submerged in a nineties bedroom of pinks and blues in the album art. The title, Titanic Rising, is Mering’s statement, the glacier we once crashed into is melting and the steel body of progress is on an unstoppable rise. All the while our poorest countries continue to sink into the depths and our world continues to die a slow and unnatural death. But the message isn’t just about climate change, Merring explores modern life through a modern lens, asking what it means to be alive in 2019 carrying the weight of it all.
The album itself has an unsettling and unnerving beauty made of nostalgia and newness. The mix skips from sci-fi synths to pedal steel licks, with atmospheric and futuristic groans and rhythms that nod to Blade Runner and Stranger Things scores, mimicking or prophesying an impending disaster. Natalie Mering even ironically cheers us up with a bit of old timey crooning and strings at one point just to say “hey, I know it’s getting hotter and people are getting colder but we sure can put on a show remember.”
The stand out aspect throughout the record is Merring’s voice, reminiscent of a futuristic Carole king, which soars above the mix. As an incredible constant it is strong and powerful, elongating phrases and melodies far into the reaches of a void. Titanic Rising is not so easily described, in fact it’s a not even as straightforward as comparisons and elaborate metaphors, it stands alone as a masterpiece.
Words by Nick Ikin
