Tift Merritt
See You on the Moon
Concord
by David Chiu
See You on the Moon may be Tift Merritt’s most artistically ambitious and personal work to date. It’s somewhat a sonic departure from her last album, the brilliant Another Country, in that the mood is more subdued and the production (helmed by My Morning Jacket/Decemberists associate Tucker Martine) is atmospheric. That is evident on a number of the album’s tracks including the the lush and melancholy-tinged Never Talk About It, the title song and the shimmering Feel of the World. However, there are moments that break the ethereal and understated mood such as the soulful “Mixtape,” which equates romance with music, not to mention name checks Mazzy Star; the Memphis-sounding “Live Till You Die,” and the catchy country rock of “Engine To Turn”; she even does a pretty acoustic version of Loggins and Messina’s “Danny Song.” On uptempo tracks or ballads, Merritt’s lyrics read like impressionistic short stories tackling themes of self-examination and relationships (i.e. “All The Reason We Don’t Have to Fight”). See You on the Moon is a worthy follow-up to Another Country— it’s a lovely, elegant and hopeful album.
NewBeats 