Merritt aims for honesty in album

In the three years since her last album, Tift Merritt has had some highs and lows, from a 2005 best country album Grammy nomination down to getting dropped by Lost Highway Records last fall. But things are finally picking up.

Merritt is in Los Angeles this month working on her third album, "Another Country," with Tom Petty/Black Crowes producer George Drakoulias. The album should be out next spring on her new label, Fantasy Records (also the imprint for John Fogerty, Edie Brickell and the late Vince Guaraldi's "A Charlie Brown Christmas").

"We rented a house in Laurel Canyon, on the same road where Carole King used to live and Joni Mitchell right up the street," Merritt says. "We're in overdubs and cutting vocals. It's kind of like Fleetwood Mac, earthy and with great energy, but I'm trying to make it a singer-songwriter record, too."

As suggested by the title, Merritt wrote most of the new album's material while in France last year. Songs include "Hopes Too High," "My Heart Is Free," "Broken" and "Something to Me." Her regular band backs her up, plus former Bob Dylan sideman Charlie Sexton on lead guitar (replacing Brad Rice, who now plays in Keith Urban's band).

Given how much time has gone by since 2004's "Tambourine," Merritt is well aware that she has a lot riding on this album.

"I'm almost middle-aged now," mock-groans Merritt, 32. "But this one is extra important to me and it's been a long time coming. So it's especially heartfelt. I'm just trying to make it the best, most honest record I can."

Merritt's next local performance is as special guest at a free N.C. Symphony "Pops in the Park" show, Sept. 2 at Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre. She'll do mostly older songs, plus the "Another Country" title track.

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Amazon.com
If the first step brings critical acclaim and the second garners Grammy® consideration, what could be in line for North Carolina native Tift Merritt since a 2002 emergence that left critics scrambling for adjectives? The talented singer/songwriter has often been miscast as a country artist, and Another Country is an opportunity to leave that moniker behind. She dips slightly into the genre, such as on the country rocker "Something to Me," the lead track featuring guitarist Charlie Sexton and sweet organ trimmings from bandmate Danny Eisenberg. From there the record sways into a flurry of styles, and Merritt never misses a beat. The blue-eyed soul of "Morning is My Destination" recalls Dusty in Memphis, while "Tell Me Something True" is an R&B nugget that has the breezy Merritt sounding eerily like Diana Ross. Elements of rock, folk, and blues pervade, and producer George Drakoulias (Black Crowes, the Jayhawks) stays out of the way, allowing Merritt’s voice to embody the songs, all 11 of which flow from start to finish, uninterrupted and primed for full-on stardom.

Product Description
After two records and a Grammy nomination, Tift Merritt took hiatus with a piano in Paris and came home with her best and most personal songs to date. Merritt describes the writing as a plainspoken look at the distance we all attempt to cross: between two people, between one heart and the rest of the world. Another Country Features special guests CHARLIE SEXTON and DOUG PETTIBONE.

1. Something To Me 4:09
2. Broken 3:44
3. Another Country 4:42
4. Hopes Too High 3:32
5. Morning Is My Destination 3:18
6. Keep You Happy 5:05
7. I Know What I'm Looking For Now 3:58
8. Tell Me Something True 3:00
9. My Heart Is Free 3:29
10. Tender Branch 3:31
11. Mille Tendresses 3:10

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0011FDVKE/?tag=imwan-20

IMHO her first 2 albums are pretty good.

renny

I think her first album is pretty good, her second pretty great. How does somebody like this get dropped from a record label? (OK, maybe I don't want to know.)

I'm really looking forward to this one.

Her live album is also excellent, Lost Highway must be losing their taste.

live album???

unless i missed something, there is no tift merritt live album, a live DVD, yes, a CD, no.

renny

Home Is Loud is her live album from 2005. I saw her at McCabe's Guitar Shop a couple of months back and she was amazing. The new songs she performed from Another Country got me really excited to hear the full album.

lefty,

thanks so much,, i never even knew that CD existed.


renny

Thanks Lefty for showing I was not full of **** (this time). That live CD was self released and available at outlets such as Village Music and Miles of Music.

It is worth getting!!

i have never seen it, anywhere.

it's now on my list.

thanks again and sorry to eelkiller for questioning him

renny

Here ya go
http://store.milesofmusic.com/index.htm ... 20%20%20CD

http://www.villagerecords.com/product_i ... 6eeba5d75e

Both of these outfits have a great selection of Alt-country - highly recommended!!

Details for the [lilred]Home Is Loud[/lilred] live album:



We love Tift Merritt so much, that we commissioned her to record a live CD for us to sell to fans of real music! Anyone that has ever heard Tift's music knows how special she is, so get this limited edition 9-song live CD (recorded June 4, 2005 in North Carolina) before it's gone!

1 Write My Ticket Home 2 Your Love Made a U Turn 3 Ain't Looking Closely 4 Laid A Highway 5 Supposed to Make You Happy 6 Neighborhood 7 Tambourine 8 Shadow In the Way 9 When I Crossover

Amazon's third party dealers have a bunch of copies in the $9.99 to $14.99 range:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BXF2TA/?tag=imwan-20

the new tift merritt will have bonus tacks from barnes & noble.

renny

Thanks for the heads up.

Do get the live cd as it is great. I stubbled upon it, not knowing it existed either and bought it promo for $7 and it is as close to her live show as it gets. Great!.

I agree about Lost Hwy dropping her. I don't get it. With her, Shannon McNally, Katheen Edwards and Marie McKee and now Lori McKenna, it seems the women are kicking ass!
(going to see a free in-store of Lori McKenna tomorrow and hopefully will score an autograph. Still can't believe she has 5 kids-HOT!---sorry to get off topic)

Rich

The B& N bonus disc includes three tracks: Harder Feeling, Who Loves the Sun (Velvet Underground cover) and a solo acoustic version of the emphasis track, Broken.

Thanks for the tip - will be checking this out on an upcoming B&N trip.

Got this last week. It's pretty great. Very good songwriting. Excellent production. What a voice. And it's not just a great voice -- it's just the right voice for these songs. Very honest and pure. She deserves a lot bigger audience. If you're reading this, you probably owe it to yourself to hear her.

I couldn't agree with Greg more!
My wife and I caught Tift last night at LA's famous Troubadour. Her band was in fine form and laid down some amazing grooves - Doug Pettibone added more depth on the slide guitar and Danny Eisenberg was particularly fun to watch on the keys.
Tift was typically gracious and kind enough to let us take a picture with her after the show.
Definitely a show worth catching if she comes to your town.