Ophelia (album)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Chicago Sun-Times	[2]
Entertainment Weekly	B[3]
The Guardian	[4]
Los Angeles Times	[5]
Pitchfork	4.1/10[6]
Q	[7]
Rolling Stone	[8]
Uncut	[9]
USA Today	[10]

Ophelia is the second studio album by the American singer-songwriter

Merchant built Talking Dwarf Studio in her home and this was the sole recording made in her home studio; she sold the audio equipment in 2022.[12]

Track listing

All songs were written by Natalie Merchant.^[13]

1. "Ophelia" – 5:10
2. "Life is Sweet" – 5:12
3. "Kind & Generous" – 4:07
4. "Frozen Charlotte" (with Karen Peris of The Innocence Mission) – 5:23
5. "My Skin" – 5:30
6. "Break Your Heart" (with N'Dea Davenport) – 4:47
7. "King of May" – 4:09
8. "Thick as Thieves" – 6:57
9. "Effigy" – 2:30
10. "The Living" – 3:18
11. "
    When They Ring the Golden Bells" (with Karen Peris of The Innocence Mission) / "Ophelia (Reprise)" (string arrangement by Gavin Bryars; hidden track
    ) – 9:33

• Wurlitzer electric piano (4, 9), acoustic piano (5, 10), Hammond organ
  (9)
• George Laks – acoustic piano (1, 2), organ (1), Wurlitzer electric piano (3), Hammond organ (3, 7), Rhodes piano (7)
• Ken Appollo – barrel organ (1)
• Todd Vos – electric guitar (1)
• Craig Ross – electric guitar (2, 3, 6), acoustic guitar (2, 5, 7)
• Lokua Kanza – acoustic guitar (3, 6)
• Don Peris – electric guitar (4, 11)
• Donnie Ward – electric guitar (6)
• Daniel Lanois – electric guitar (8)
• Karen Peris – vocals (4, 11), acoustic guitar (11)
• Graham Maby – bass (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11)
• Jay Brunga –
  acoustic bass
  (5)
• Peter Yanowitz – drums (1–8, 10, 11)
• Joakim Lartey – percussion (3)
• Michelle Kinney – cello (1, 5, 8)
• Karl Berger – string arrangements and conductor (2, 6, 7)
• Garo Yellin – cello (2, 6, 7)
• Ralph Farris – viola (2, 6, 7)
• Conway Kuo – viola (2, 6, 7)
• Hector Falcon – violin (2, 6, 7)
• Krystof Witek – violin (2, 6, 7)
• Tom Varner – French horn (2)
• Chris Botti – trumpet (6)
• N'Dea Davenport – vocals (6)
• Yungchen Lhamo – vocals (9), Tibetan translation (9)

Credits for "Ophelia" and "Ophelia (Reprise)"

• Camille Labro – French voice (1)
• Susanna Schmitz – German voice (1)
• Carmen Consoli – Italian voice (1)
• Bella Urina – Russian voice (1)
• Rocio Paez – Spanish voice (1)
• Christopher Wilson – theorbo (11.3)
• Pamela Thorby – recorder (11.3)
• William Hunt –
  string bass
  (11.3)
• Susanna Pell – bass viol (11.3)
• Richard Campbell – tenor viol (11.3)
• Julia Hodgson – tenor viol (11.3)
• Wendy Gillespie – treble viol (11.3)

Technical personnel

• Todd Vos – engineer (1–7, 10, 11.1)
• John Holbrook – engineer (8, 9)
• Rupert Coulson – engineer (11.3)
• Ricky Graham – assistant engineer (11.3)
• Jim Scott – mixing
• Mike Scotella – mix assistant
• Bob Ludwig – mastering at Gateway Mastering (Portland, Maine)
• Helene Silverman – package design
• Mark Seliger – photography
• Cynthia Rowley – costume designs

Charts

Certifications

Notes