Some 21 years after Tift Merritt’s breakthrough album Tambourine, she returns with “Time & Patience: Tambourine Kitchen Recordings.” The original Tambourine highlighted both Tift Merritt’s voice and a classic blue-eyed soul sound. The demos have stripped back the embellishments and allowed the songs to stand on their own. It turns out that they have taken on a new life.
Leadoff track “Write My Ticket Home” is a heartfelt song that only includes Tift’s vocal and a strummed guitar. The guitar strum provides the ideal pallet for Tift to deliver her moving vocal. The song benefits from a stripped back approach. The simplified arrangement feels like you’re in her living room. Similarly, “The Plainest Thing” works better without the extra.
“Good Hearted Man,” Tift’s breakout hit, takes on new meaning as a piano ballad. The cadence and chord changes move so easily with just a piano. Tift’s performance here showcases how she uses her vocals to shape the movement of the song. Again, the vocals take center stage as she holds notes in this raw performance. It feels like the listener has been able to listen in to Tift alone composing the tune. It certainly is a treat.
“Stray Paper” is stripped back to a strummed guitar, harmony, and some keys. It’s another tune that carries a different emotional weight without a band. The song seems to live in a more natural state. Tift could roll up to almost anywhere and play it as it is recorded on this album.
There are some slower and faster moments on the album. Tift hits the mark in this particular sweet spot. It shows her versatility that she can give some of her most treasure material new life with less adornments.
Since Tift’s last proper album in 2017, her particular brand of singer/songwriter material has been missed. Here’s hoping that this bodes well for a new record to follow soon.
About the author: Jeff is a teacher in the Boston area. When not buried correcting papers, Jeff can be found plucking various stringed instruments and listening to all types of americana music.