The latest album from Weyes Blood is "Titanic Rising," with dreamy and cinematic songs haunted by the fateful tale of that doomed ocean liner.
Natalie Mering performs and records as Weyes Blood, taking the name (and pronunciation) from the Flannery O'Connor novel "Wise Blood." Mering was born in California and grew up in Pennsylvania. She sang in gospel and madrigal choirs, began playing guitar at an early age, and took up songwriting as a teenager.
The mythology of the 1997 "Titanic" movie enraptured Mering as a child and inspired the title and themes of the new record. She alludes to civilization itself hitting that iceberg, or perhaps sinking due to the melting of the iceberg.
Listening to "Titanic Rising," I'm reminded of Father John Misty's similar approach to songcraft. And as a vocalist, Mering more than once had me thinking "the indie Karen Carpenter."
Here are the Top 30 new album releases played on Studio One Tracks for the week ending April 28, 2019:
1 Jenny Lewis- "On The Line"
2 Shovels & Rope- "By Blood"
3 Stephen Malkmus- "Groove Denied"
4 Karen O & Danger Mouse- "Lux Prima"
5 Avey Tare- "Cows On Hourglass Pond"
6 The Mountain Goats- "In League With Dragons"
7 Weyes Blood- "Titanic Rising"
8 Julia Jacklin- "Crushing"
9 Broken Social Scene- "Let's Try The After"
10 Sasami- "Sasami"
11 Strand Of Oaks- "Eraserland"
12 Better Oblivion Community Center- "Better Oblivion Community Center"
13 Anemone- "Beat My Distance"
14 Stella Donnelly- "Beware Of The Dogs"
15 Cass McCombs- "Tip Of The Sphere"
16 Courtney Marie Andrews- "May Your Kindness Remain (Acoustic)"
17 Tedeschi Trucks Band- "Signs"
18 Various Artists- "Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration"
19 Steve Mason- "About The Light"
20 Tacocat- "This Mess Is A Place"
21 Damien Jurado- "In The Shape Of A Storm"
22 White Denim- "Side Effects"
23 The Coathangers- "The Devil You Know"
24 Sharon Van Etten- "Remind Me Tomorrow"
25 Ibibio Sound Machine- "Doko Mien"
26 Maggie Rogers- "Heard It In A Past Life"
27 Bad Bad Hats- "Lightning Round"
28 Drugdealer- "Raw Honey"
29 The Budos Band- "The Budos Band V"
30 Kevin Morby- "Oh My God"
