Natalie Merchant: The Tigerlilly who cries for River Phoenix

It's been more than 30 years since rock music was still important and had great relevance. Artists were not pop bunnies who sang with computer voices, but stars with guitars, poets, explainers of the world.

We are looking back in a series. Today we have a look at "Tigerlily" by Natalie Merchant.

A year after separating from her long-standing band 10,000 Maniacs, Natalie Merchant, voice but also soul of the Maniacs, presents her first solo album. The older daughter, who has now converted from the fashionable short haircut to the classic long hair costume, went for “Tigerlily”.

Before she invited her new backing band, a trio led by guitarist Jennifer Turner, into the studio, the eleven new pieces were rehearsed extensively in concert. The effort was worth it. “Tigerlily” is more clearly structured and more modestly orchestrated than the Maniacs’ last magnificent pop works. As with MTV Unplugged, Natalie Merchant once again relies entirely on her clear, captivatingly beautiful voice, which is particularly hypnotic in a ballad setting.

Then she breathes and hums, coolly and yet soulfully, about deceased lovers, women's fates and letters that were never sent. But she can also do things differently: With “River,” Natalie Merchant has created a tearful eulogy to River Phoenix, “Cowboy Romance” is a 100% fictional love fairy tale from the Wild West, and “Where I Go” impresses as an upbeat folk number about self-doubt and fear , which seamlessly follows the best pieces from 10,000 Maniacs.

The solo debut of the former frontwoman of the 10,000 Maniacs in was an artistic and commercial success. Natalie Merchant had been touring the folk-rock scene for years before she created her own style with socially conscious folk-pop melodies that would catapult her to number 13 on the Billboard charts.