Tift Merritt

Independence Day was a fitting booking for North Carolina country singer Merritt who, despite partying hard in Paris the night before, conjured up a glorious set of Americana; superbly assisted by her jet-lagged band, including long time bassist Jake Brown. No mere padding, each musician stamped their own styles and expertise throughout with lead guitarist and pedal steel picker Eric Haywood’s palette of sounds an essential element. The country rock songs were authentic in sound and subject but the highlights were the stripped-down numbers, especially ‘Travelling Alone’, which saw the band huddled around a single mic, balladeering in perfect harmony.

The Haunt, 4 July 2013

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