Merchant Experiments With Mix of Sounds on ‘Ophelia’

***NATALIE MERCHANT

“Ophelia”

Elektra

Merchant’s restless creative spirit has compelled her to experiment, both in her last days with 10,000 Maniacs and in her subsequent solo work. On her second album, an echo of her distant past whispers through the jangling “Kind & Generous,” but mostly the music reveals a singer-songwriter who can’t stand still.

While Merchant hasn’t given up her penchant for reflective, melancholy lyrics, “Ophelia” is more about creating atmosphere than making statements. Keeping only the rhythm section the same throughout, she conducts a brainy jam session of sorts, coloring the tracks with the help of more than 30 musicians, including guitarist Daniel Lanois, early music consort Fretwork, singer N’Dea Davenport, Tibetan devotional singer Yungchen Lhamo and jazz trumpeter Chris Botti.

The results feel like vintage ‘70s folk-pop crossed with chamber music. Still, while the instrumentation is lusher than on “Tigerlily,” Merchant’s 1995 solo debut, it’s not gratuitous. And she offsets the elaborate orchestration of tracks such as “King of May” with spare songs such as “My Skin” and the breezy soul-pop of “Break Your Heart.”

Despite the changing textures, the mood remains palpably hushed and introspective. Merchant’s silky alto has a hypnotic tenacity, but her understated passion can make her veiled poetry sound evasive. If you’re in a quiet mood, however, “Ophelia” would make a fine companion.

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