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-=Amazon Review=- by Scott Holter

If the first step brings critical acclaim and the second garners Grammy(R) 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.

-=AMG Review=- by Hal Horowitz

It took Tift Merritt four years, a label change, and a sojourn to Paris, where she knew virtually no one and didn't speak the language, to craft her third release. She recounts the Paris part of the story in the liner notes and the explanation clarifies both the disc's title and reflective, personal songs such as "I Know What I'm Looking for Now" ("this world will mix you up and bring you down, but I know what I'm looking for now"). Producer George Drakoulias returns from her last album, as does most of her touring band, but the sound is more muted and less insistent than on the Dusty in Memphis styled Tambourine. When horns do finally enter the picture on track eight, it seems like the Stax styled "Tell Me Something True" is a Tambourine leftover. Electric guitars are handled by ringers Charlie Sexton and Doug Pettibone but both stay on low boil for the majority of the disc, finally letting loose on "My Heart Is Free" near the end. The stripped down sound, reliance on ballads and mid-tempo strummers such as the opening "Something to Me" gives these songs, and especially Merritt's luxurious vocals, room to breathe. They marinate in their comfy country-folk strum, unconcerned about making a strong first impression, but rather letting their melodic and lyrical charms seep in gradually. The singer's voice seems more fragile and sensitive than in the past but that suits the introspective nature of these 11 originals well. The notes make clear that the material was largely composed on piano, which explains the keyboard oriented sound underpinning the lovely title track and many of the slower tunes that dominate the set. There's a sense of exhaling through the spaces on these songs, as if the sessions were a return to a less stressful approach. That fits the material, and especially Merritt's velvety vocals, perfectly. When all the elements combine, such as on the lilting "Morning Is My Destination" where Merritt's voice connects with the more soulful aspects of the song, punctuated by gospel organ and stinging guitar fills, the effect is stunning. The closing cabaret ballad "Mille Tendresses," sung in French, is a natural coda to an album that is not an obvious progression in Tift Merritt's career, but one that comes from the heart and sounds it. Sometimes you have to look backward to move forward, which makes Another Country ring with a personal touch. It resonates with emotion, tenderness, and a sense that she has found comfort in life and her songwriting that may have been missing before.

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                     Tift Merritt - Another Country
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   Artist  : Tift Merritt
   Album   : Another Country

   Genre   : Rock
   Label   : Fantasy

   Source  : CDDA
   Size    : 54,9 MB

   Quality : VBRkbps
           : 44.1kHz
           : Joint
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   Tracklist:
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   01    Something To Me                                          04:11
   02    Broken                                                   03:46
   03    Another Country                                          04:45
   04    Hopes Too High                                           03:34
   05    Morning Is My Destination                                03:20
   06    Keep You Happy                                           05:08
   07    I Know What I'm Looking For Now                          03:59
   08    Tell Me Something True                                   03:02
   09    My Heart Is Free                                         03:33
   10    Tender Branch                                            03:34
   11    Mile Tendresses                                          03:10

                                                   Total Runtime: 42:02
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   Release Notes:
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        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.

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             EON : BRINGING THE BEST FROM THE BEST TO YOUR EARDRUMS
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