Tift Merritt's Tambourine, available Aug. 24

“If Emmylou Harris fronted a Sticky Fingers-era Rolling Stones…”
- from a review of Tift Merritt’s first record

Tift Merritt, with her gorgeous voice and blue-eyed soul, is about to get tagged as the new Dusty Springfield. Never mind that, in its more R&B-influenced moments, her new record Tambourine is more Muscle Shoals-era Aretha or Etta James than Memphis-era Dusty. As such, the above quote better describes Merritt’s current release than it did her debut album, Bramble Rose.

Merritt’s record label (Lost Highway) assembled a crack team of studio musicians (including Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench of Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers) and a veteran producer (George Drakoulias) to help Merritt create a masterpiece that is a considerable improvement over her considerably excellent debut. Mostly absent are the languid country ballads that were the foundation of that record, replaced with several gospel-tinged rave-ups (“I Am Your Tambourine”, “Shadow In The Way”) and a number of energetic Heartbreakers-style rockers (“Wait It Out”, “Late Night Pilgrim”). But there is still no denying the power of her Number One asset, her voice, which is able to wrap itself around ballads and rockers with equally stunning effectiveness. The result comes much closer to capturing Merritt’s live performance, which has evolved into a bona fide rock and roll show over the past year or so. Tambourine should cast Merritt straight out of the singer/songwriter and alt-country ghettos in which she’s been previously pigeonholed. While so-called rockers like Sheryl Crow flounder around looking for just one more quick pop hit (“Soak Up The Sun” anyone?), Tift Merritt fills a void that has long been lacking in popular music, that of a genuine songwriting and performing talent who knows how to shake her hips and rattle the roof.

Don't miss this record. Tift Merritt is an exceptional talent and Tambourine deserves to be heard!

Vh1 is hosting a free preview of the record: http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/merritt_tift/767569/album.jhtml

Tift Merritt's website (hopefully will be updated shortly):
http://www.tiftmerritt.com/