Words: Amy Perdoni | Feature Image: Neil Krug

Weyes Blood lit up the Eventim Apollo to celebrate the end of Pitchfork’s annual music festival in London – with support from Vagabon and Ichiko Aoba – also marking the end of her grand In Holy Flux tour. 

I’d been enchanted by Weyes Blood (also known as Natalie Merling) before, her fifth studio album And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow welcomed me into a world of lush psychedelic pop and folk, fluid yet flawlessly controlled vocal performances, and a collection of songs so attentive to detail that they effortlessly boast commendable craftsmanship. Of course, the opportunity to see this in a live setting was not one I planned to pass up. In just under 90 minutes, I witnessed all of these factors and more exhibited in front of me, and as Natalie twirls around the stage, she captivates not just me, but thousands of others too. To not fall under the spell of her atmospheric ballads, to not get lost in her magical stage presence, simply to pay mind to anything but her would be a deplorable and impossible task tonight. 

As she introduces ‘God Turn Me Into a Flower‘, visuals directed by the acclaimed documentary filmmaker Adam Curtis take over the stage, displaying potent images of human emotion and experience – an art Natalie has described as “the pursuit of making sense of our ever-evolving society.” Arising from the myth of Narcissus, this concept of turning into a flower is “soft” which is “the approach you have to take with all the uncertainty and irrevocable change that’s happening right now,” as she told NME last year. Though the song is based upon an area of Greek mythology, it becomes evident how much her music concerns the real world, despite its fairy-tale charm. Her beautiful harmonies against this backdrop make for a heartbreaking and eye-opening performance, and I find myself shedding a tear or two while watching it. 

‘Grapevine’ is spectacular and spine-chilling. It’s Natalie and her guitar, illuminated by red spotlight, standing alone in front of eerie leafless branches. The song flows back and forth from devastating to hopeful, but no less haunting, as the instrumentation picks up and red, blue, and purple lights dance around the stage. The stage set-up throughout is stunning. She’s accompanied not just by her band, but by multiple candelabras, and silhouettes behind her that seem to add emphasis to the cinematic feel of her shows, as well as an array of hues that melt into her and each other, slowing and speeding up in coordination with the music. Everything Natalie has encapsulated into her soundscapes is present, from her flowing white dress and cape, to the colours that blend into it.

She quite literally has her heart on display tonight. During the second half of the set, a glowing heart radiates from her costume, much like the one seen in photoshoots for her most recent album. There’s a nod to the artistic direction of 2019’s Titanic Rising too, as she performs ‘Movies‘ in homage to its video – instead of being submerged in water, she moves under oscillating turquoise light. As she reaches the outro, she’s throwing flowers out to her fans, spinning around from one end of the stage to the other, as hundreds of mili-second movie clips play out behind her. 

Though Weyes Blood’s career extends nearly a couple decades long, I can’t help but feel as if I am watching an artist at her peak tonight. The kind of transcendent dream-pop she’s mastered reinvigorates itself into the setting, and it’s clear that every decision has been made with precision. There are easy-going moments, for sure, but all the necessarily heavy emotions are evoked by Natalie’s delivery. Perfect shows like these certainly establish the strength and significance of live music. They also establish an artist in full form. Weyes Blood is a timeless star, and without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most engrossing live acts I’ve had the pleasure of seeing.

Weyes Blood’s latest record And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow is out now via Sub Pop.