The last significant revolution in country music was Buck Owens' outlaw rockabilly sound of the '60s. Since then, country has gone nowhere but pop, as the Dixie Chicks or Shania Twain rule the charts, leading to a succession of increasingly generic sounds emanating from Nashville record studios. Improbably, though, every once in a while an artist takes the conventional components of country and makes them sound fresh. Gram Parsons did it, Dwight Yoakam did it and with her debut release Bramble Rose, Tift Merritt has done it as well.
Obviously weaned on Emmylou Harris and Patsy Cline, Merritt, who performs at Luther's Blues, 1401 University Ave., Friday, acquits herself admirably across her album's 11 tracks. Having written all the songs herself and playing both the guitar and piano, she shows great potential to join these legends in the pantheon of female country icons.
As a smart songwriter with a powerful, evocative voice, comparisons to Lucinda Williams are inevitable and not altogether faulty too. Unlike Williams, though, Merritt voice holds her cards close to her chest. She often sounds hushed and intimate while retaining a level of defense through her affecting but sometimes distancing lyrics. On the album's opener, \Trouble Over Me,"" she claims ""I'll play hard to get/ I mean it/ Make a little trouble over me,"" and this elusive quality continues throughout the album. The lyrics frequently allude to wanting to fall in love but fearing the leap of faith that needs to be taken to get there.
Her lyrics consistently shine impressively, especially notable for a debut album. Her entry into the swelling list of Sept. 11 songs, ""Bird of Freedom"" is perhaps the most understated and admirable of all, easily trumping the efforts of more seasoned songwriters such as Neil Young and Paul McCartney. It starts with the lines ""Where were you when the plane went down/ When the president was born/ When they founded this town?"" and expands into a reflection upon loss and misunderstanding.
Backing the lyrics are the typical country instruments'guitar, pedal steel, piano and drums'and they all are appealingly understated or emotive when necessary. The most important instrument on the album, though, is Merritt's voice. She's like a less rough Lucinda Williams, an unpoppy Kasey Chambers or a less, um, robust Dolly Parton. All of these qualities combine for what should be a stellar show Friday night.
