[MUSIC REVIEW] Stitch of the World (2017) by Tift Merritt

steemswede (70)in #music • 8 years ago (edited)

She's been called "a diamond in a coal mine" by legendary country singer Emmylou Harris. In light of that, it's odd that Tift Merritt isn't a bigger name. "Stitch of the World" is her sixth studio album since her debut in 2002 with "Bramble Rose." Her consistently high quality is impressive.

One would think that all the songs of broken hearts had already been written, but Tift Merritt finds new openings. On the beautiful "Heartache is an Uphill Climb" that opens like the best Gram Parsons ballad, she wonders how the scar can forget the knife. I assume that the song deals with the divorce from her long-time partner and drummer Zeke Hutchins. After a quiet first verse with a lonely piano, we are joined by drums, a few guitars and finally also a choir. The songs are rooted in a number of upheavals in Merritt's life, such as being heavily pregnant during the recording process. There's a certain atmosphere of brittleness and doubt over the entire album.

You must empty your pockets of stones,
That light-hearted you may go, for you must go
With the stitch of the world,
Into the stitch of the world

We are offered a nice dynamic between understated, poignant story telling country and messy, life-affirming folk rock. Merritt sings with a voice that manages to be simultaneously humble, thoughtful and confident. A rare, bittersweet and embracing warmth that is very difficult to get enough of. The music year of 2017 continues to impress.