Tift Merritt Tambourine CD

Personnel: Maxayn Lewis, Margaret Fowler, Julia Waters, Maxine Willard Waters (vocals); Mike Campbell , Neal Casal, Jason Sinay (guitar); Darrell Leonard, Joe Sublett (horns); Patrick Warren (celesta, chamberlin); Don Heffington (drums); George Drakoulias (percussion).
Audio Mixers: David Bianco; Jim Scott.
Recording information: Cello Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Glenwood Place, Los Angeles, CA; M.C. Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Sound City, Los Angeles, CA.
Photographers: Roberto Deste; Neal Casal.
With oodles of critical praise but disappointing commercial response, Tift Merritt's terrific 2002 debut was a qualified success. On her follow-up two years later, she gradually but decidedly moves her ringing country rock toward a more classic soul sound. With producer George Drakoulias -- who mined similar territory with Maria McKee -- providing the musical muscle, the album is an impressive accomplishment. Merritt sure has the pipes for this stirring soul/Americana music. She sings with an aching acquiescence common to country artists such as Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton, but belts out these tunes with the power of Linda Ronstadt in her prime. Drakoulias wisely places her tough yet tender vocals front and center in the mix, leaving her faceless but competent backup musicians to carry the bluesy twang she has perfected here. Dusty Springfield and McKee have both covered this ground, but on Memphis soul shots like "Good Hearted Man" and especially "Your Love Made a U Turn" with full, blaring horns and R&B backing vocals, the effect is explosive and revelatory. "Ain't Looking Closely" takes its ringing guitar straight from Roger McGuinn's Byrds days, but the meaty approach and chorus is strictly Southern. The blues that infuses "Still Pretending" adds a torchy Dwight Yoakam/George Jones approach with Merritt projecting hurt resignation on top of subtle strings and a classic country sound out of the '60s. "The Plainest Thing" strips down the backing to bare organ, brushed drums, and spare guitar, leaving plenty of room for Merritt's luxurious voice. But it's the more upbeat tracks that rule, as Merritt and Drakoulias' firm control and extraordinary sense of dynamics shoot this album into orbit. Tambourine is a remarkably mature, confident, and commanding release that defines then rides its groove with no low points. It should make Merritt the star she deserves to be. ~ Hal Horowitz
Following in the footsteps of alt-country icons Shelby Lynne, Allison Moorer, and Maria McKee, Tift Merritt gilds her sophomore effort, TAMBOURINE, with country-inflected soul, a stylistic crossroads where Nashville and Muscle Shoals meet. Teaming up with Black Crowes/Jayhawks producer George Drakoulias, Merritt doles out healthy servings of roots-rock that include the chugging "Your Love Made a U-Turn" (with its bubbling bass and chirping harmonies), the jangly "Stray Paper," and the organ-smothered "Wait It Out."
Blessed with a voice reminiscent of a breathier Dusty Springfield, the native Texan has earned plenty of praise from her peers, resulting in a few noteworthy guests popping up on this outing. Pedal-steel virtuoso Robert Randolph checks in on the rollicking "I Am Your Tambourine," while McKee and Jayhawk Gary Louris harmonize on the twangy "Late Night Pilgrim" and the bittersweet "Write My Ticket." But make no mistake, Merritt's chops allow her to forge her own way. When she tucks her croon amid the Memphis Horns-flavored arrangements of "Good Hearted Man," there's no difficulty discerning the gal's soul pedigree. With TAMBOURINE, Tift Merritt takes another step towards gaining a foothold in the world of insurgent country.Rolling Stone (p.81) - 3 stars out of 5 - "There's not a dud among the dozen tracks, a testament to Merritt's talent as both a distinctive singer and writer."
Spin (p.120) - "She can sound brand-new and busted-down in the same verse, and she sings like a guitar player." - Grade: B+
Entertainment Weekly (p.123) - "Merritt's voice is a magical combination of cool reserve and effortless warmth..." - Grade: A-
Uncut (p.109) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[T]he key lies in the expressive pull and dew-on-the-vine purity of her remarkable voice."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.116) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[T]his one finds her with a steelier determination in her country soul and an inclination to rock out that she's only previously hinted at."