There’s a fine line between being in a rut and addiction. Sometimes you think it’s the former and in your attempt to get out you realize there’s more to it. That’s the position North Carolinian folk singer-songwriter Meris Gantt found herself in. A two-year journey to shape her new life became the basis for her recently released EP, Forced Revival.
The Reckoning features a robust folk ethic with strong finger picking stylings and rich harmonies in the initial realization that she, “sold my soul and the devil has got me”. There’s a similar style to Don’t Let Me Lie and the challenge of saving one from oneself. We Got Time is a little more bluegrass-influenced and represents the turning point when you can’t simply wait any longer for things to get better.
Meris Gantt has a decade of playing with North Carolina bands, but Forced Revival is her debut solo outing. Although the topics of the songs aren’t necessarily light-hearted, the record is a thoroughly enjoyable listen and I hope it portends more of the same.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.