“Gunslinger” by Natalie Bergman

Featuring stark, Psalm-like lyrics and an eclectic palette of gospel, blues, reggae, psychedelia, and ’60s girl group harmonies, Natalie Bergman’s Mercy was a deeply moving collection of songs that dealt with the sudden deaths of her father and stepmother — and one of my favorite albums from 2021.

“Gunslinger,” the first single from Bergman’s upcoming My Home Is Not In This World, still maintains Mercy’s retro feel thanks to its funky bass line and swooning strings, which wouldn’t sound out of place during the closing credits of a Quentin Tarantino film. (The song’s music video is definitely in keeping with that particular vibe.)

Instead of singing about grief and faith, though, Bergman spins a tale about “a heartbreaking lover with diamond eyes” that she keeps running back to even after he’s done her wrong (“I saw the end coming from the beginning/But without him, I’d be nothing at all/I’m just a prisoner of your love/Baby, don’t you let me out”).

My Home Is Not In This World will be released on July 18, 2025 by Third Man Records.