Natalie Merchant’s new self-titled album is out now on Nonesuch Records. The recording is the multi-platinum singer’s sixth solo collection, and her first of entirely original songs in 13 years. To pick up a copy of Natalie Merchant, head to iTunes or the Nonesuch Store, where CD orders include a download of the complete album at checkout; MP3 and FLAC lossless files are also available to purchase there.

This self-produced album is the work of a mature artist with a clear and distinctive voice. Long appreciated for the depth and substance of her writing, Merchant has never shied away from weighty themes or subjects for her lyrics. She describes the new release as informed "by experience and keen observation," dealing with issues of "love gained and lost, regret, denial, surrender, greed, destructiveness, defeat, and occasional triumph."

"Merchant has made her mark as an unflinchingly honest artist," writes the Associated Press reviewer Scott Bauer. "That fearlessness continues on the self-titled and self-produced Natalie Merchant ... With her distinctive voice still in strong form as she enters her 50s, together with the lush backing of strings, piano, organ and the occasional woodwinds, Merchant creates a rich musical tapestry that transcends the typical vagary of pop music." You can read more of the AP review at abcnews.go.com.

Merchant discussed the new album with the Wall Street Journal's Tad Hendrickson for a feature article. "While Ms. Merchant's vocal range has deepened—and the new music's cinematic blend of orchestral strings, acoustic guitar and piano reflects that—her luminous voice isn't something her fans will likely forget," writes Hendrickson. Read the article at online.wsj.com.

In the UK, where the album was released yesterday, Natalie Merchant is CD of the Week in the Daily Telegraph, earning a perfect five stars.

"There is something quietly magnificent about her vocal presence, always perfectly set in unshowy arrangements that blend organic instrumentation with sombre yet luxurious orchestral shading," writes the Telegraph's Neil McCormick in his five-star review. After likening her to singer-songwriters like Tom Waits and Randy Newman, he goes on to say: "She evokes a more soulful Joan Baez, balancing sensuous languor with austere seriousness."

McCormick notes "the spiky intelligence of her writing, drawing you into piercing character studies that thicken with each musical brushstroke. Every phrase seems properly accounted for." Among the album track to which he draws attention is "Giving Up Everything," which he lauds as "quite extraordinary; an orchestral poem of spiritual surrender that offers up a gorgeously bleak depiction of 'the whole magnificent emptiness.'"

Read the complete five-star review at telegraph.co.uk.

The album earns four stars in Mojo, the Financial Times, Times of London, Sun, and Sunday Express, which names it Album of the Week.

"A set of songs that seem like an extended and quite brilliant conversation with herself," says the Sunday Express in its four-star review. "This is an album about female resilience, beautifully delivered in Merchant’s pure, fluting tunes and brimming with wit, insight and compassion."

Merchant "is in terrific form," says the Times. "The self-produced album is a confident and thoughtful affair, with lyrics that cleverly mix the personal with the political and exquisite arrangements, from the rich orchestration on opener ‘Ladybird’, to the stripped-back Americana of ‘Texas’. However proficient the music, it is Merchant’s mature, versatile voice that steals the show."

"Merchant continues to grow as an artist," says the Sun. "A soulful, touching album, meeting life’s big issues head on. 'Giving Up Everything’ is the most beautiful, bittersweet song I have heard in a long time.'"

The album also earns four stars in the Irish Times. "'Maggie Said,' 'Go Down, Moses', 'It’s a Coming' and centrepiece 'Giving Up Everything' have the intensity and sheen of Merchant’s best work," says the paper. "Natalie Merchant remains a singular talent."

In Germany, Natalie Merchant is Album of the Week in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. "It has been a long time since we’ve heard from one of the greatest alternative singer-songwriters," notes the German paper. "Natalie Merchant’s first album of original songs in 13 years is a folk and soul miracle. Demonstrating she is one of the truly independent singers with style."

Watch a preview of the album, featuring four tracks, "Giving Up Everything," "Ladybird," "Seven Deadly Sins," and "It's A-Coming," here: