At first glance, the folk-pop of Natalie Merchant might seem like an odd
choice for VH1 Storytellers to have tackled, but beneath the glossy
veneer of her songs lies weightier subject matter that warrants this
sort of attention. For example, in explaining her personal connection to
the neglected and abused child that stirred her to compose What's the
Matter Here? for 10,000 Maniacs, she brought the emotional underpinnings
of the song to the forefront, and her subsequent vocal delivery
powerfully exuded the anger, the sorrow, and the passion of her lyrics.
  Unfortunately, she didn't take full advantage of the format to delve
as far as she could have into her exquisite catalog. Instead, she opted
to fill part of her eight-song set with lighter fare such as Kind and
Generous, These Are Days, and Carnival. Nevertheless, her pliable voice
combined with the tight, but dexterous ability of her backing band
yielded superficially similar but texturally different interpretations
of some of her best known tunes. As a result, her contribution to VH1
Storytellers proved to be one of the program's finest moments.

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