SNoALP no. 10
- Mercy – Natalie Bergman (Folk * 2021)
March 10, 2026 | I had heard the first song. | This album utterly destroyed me. I am unlikely to recover. Rarely have I had such a strong emotional reaction to music. Just devastating and so, so beautiful. The album was written after Bergman’s father and stepmother were killed by a drunk driver, and the grief and sorrow that suffuse the lyrics in every song are so tender. Bergman asks honest, raw questions, full of trust and heartache and without a whisper of bitterness. I can only pray that if (when) I experience deep mourning that I will be able to turn to the Lord, as Bergman has, to find solace. Mercy, indeed.
Musically, Bergman’s voice took a bit of getting used to; I wasn’t sure I liked it. But ultimately something shifted in my opinion, and I find her voice really works. What she’s doing musically is so interesting—folksy for sure, it has aspects of old-time gospel (I noticed especially on “The Gallows”) and I’m sure lots of other things that I can’t think of through my tears.
(For a great read, see Jason’s review of the album.)