Hearts were aglow last night at Union Transfer for a brilliantly theatrical and gorgeous performance by Weyes Blood, the project of Natalie Mering, a Bucks County-rooted, choir-trained vocalist turned transcendent composer and poet. Her latest record, And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow was on full display, with songs from the album making up most of the evening’s setlist and Weyes Blood’s costuming referencing the album artwork, lit dramatically in cool tones with a warm glowing heart beaming from her chest.
The second in a self-described trilogy, Weyes Blood’s And In The Darkness — which came in at number 16 on WXPN’s Best of 2022 MEGA-LIST — is a pandemic album in a startlingly indirect way. It was written during lockdown, as many records out these days are, but comments on isolation and apocalyptic times in society and her personal life as an artist. Penultimate track “The Worst Is Done” sums it up well: “They say the worst is done / but I think it’s only just begun.” Other lyrics cut through the glamour of her lush production and expansive live band with resounding relatability like “Sitting at this party / wondering if anyone knows me / really sees who I am” from album opener “It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody.” Following in the footsteps of her breakthrough record 2019’s Titanic Rising, And In The Darkness is both sonically enrapturing while processing themes of grief and loneliness.
