(4 / 5)
Grammy-nominated US singer-songwriter Tift Merritt returns with her first album in almost a decade; “Sugar” is a fine collection of a dozen songs written over the course of eight years that reflect on her journey through love, loneliness and holding on to hope.
Produced by Lawrence Rothman and tracked live at Nashville’s Gold Pacific Studios, this album captures Tift’s signature vibrato vocal and soul-infused country sound [often labelled as Americana] in all its glory.
Collaborators include guitarist Audley Freed (Alison Krauss, Sheryl Crow), multi-instrumentalist Robert Ellis (PJ Harvey, Faye Webster), Dr. Dog’s Eric Slick, McKenzie Smith, and arranger Art Edmaiston. Tift plays acoustic guitar and piano throughout.
The album begins with the unguarded “Finest Feelings”, delving into Tift’s physical desires and it delivers a fantastic opening lyric: “100 things to do and not one of them pays”, which is definitely relatable!
Then the optimistic “Everyday Singing” that reminds us to keep moving forward and open ourselves to everyday joys: “May love write the story between us, may love fill the space that remains,” Tift repeats over a beautiful viola and cello arrangement and a choir adding another emotive layer to the last chorus.
Tift is marveling at love’s unexpected power on “Look What Love Just Did”, part of her core theme of finding moments of beauty, humour and hope in everyday life.
Self-assured title track “Sugar” is a stripped down piano ballad that reminds us why it is good to have her back. The final chorus builds with the band into the refrain: “I’ll show you the sugar that only I can sing”.
Sonically, there’s plenty of swaying beats and ride cymbal punctuation with ‘saloon style’ piano and acoustic guitar providing the main musical body. Tift’s vocals sit front and centre, breathy and gentle in the sombre songs then building with intensity and emotion in the bolder tracks, including the stand out “Someone To Watch The Band With Me”, and on the closing cut, “Philosopher’s Song”.
Tift doesn’t shy away from experimenting with this collection either. The penultimate track, “The Fate Of Man In Sarah’s Eyes” is a two-part a capella vocal sung in the round, with Tift taking on both parts. She tells the story of a forgotten “washer woman” who “repeats the sin, repeats the strife”, with ominous connotations.
Overall an eclectic collection of songs from a one of a kind artist and story-teller who has been away far too long. “Sugar” sure is a sweet comeback…
By Fran Parry
(1 / 5) ‘Dull Zone’
(2 / 5) ‘OK Zone’
(3 / 5) ‘Decent Zone’
(4 / 5) ‘Super Zone’
(5 / 5) ‘Awesome Zone’
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