Star rating - 8/10
At the
Ruby Lounge this weekend Tift Merrit demonstrated not only what a beautiful clear
voice she has, but also just how good her songs sound when she sings them live
with her band. It was a chilled, intimate easy Sunday evening atmosphere
with seats, tables, candles and everything.
And
you wouldn't think it to hear her, or see her youthful exuberance, but this
talented American alt-country singer has
been producing consistently great music for a decade now. The beautiful title
track from her first record all those years ago, Bramble Rose, was one of the highlights of the set. She does sad
and haunting very well, like Drifting
Apart from her latest album Traveling
Alone - and it had a simply gorgeous
pedal steel accompaniment. As did the beautiful Sweet Spot.
She
does a great line in relationship observations - Too Soon to Go, and Traveling Alone sounded particularly
good. But she can also rock it up with the best of them as on Still Not Home. As is so often the case
many of the tracks sound so much better live with a great band than they do on record
- good as they are.
Tift
Merrit may not be one of the most famous female country singers around, but she
is probably one of the nicest. Her easy, charming manner transmits to her band
and her audience. Aside from her lovely vocals, she's a talented musician and
song writer too - if she's slipped under your radar so far, and like me you are
a sucker for a beautiful voice and a spot of pedal steel, then you are advised to check her out.
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