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It resonates with emotion, tenderness, and a sense that she has found comfort in life and her songwriting that may have been missing before.
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Elements of rock, folk, and blues pervade, and producer George Drakoulias (Black Crowes, the Jayhawks) stays out of the way, allowing Merritt’s voice to embody the songs, all 11 of which flow from start to finish, uninterrupted and primed for full-on stardom.
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Lyrically, the album is immeasurably more intimate than Merritt’s previous work.
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Merritt isn't one of alt-country's most distinctive vocalists; her singing here is wide open and affectless, occasionally to the point of near-anonymity. But instead of making the tunes on Another Country seem forgettable, that quality actually ends up inviting you into the material
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Merritt dials back her soul-shouter instinct on her third album, a collection that finds her balancing restraint with the vivid emotionalism that has driven her music from the start.
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With its flawless song structures and instrumentation, the album flows seamlessly.
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MojoHere her wonderful voice, smooth and warm with throaty twang and unforced power, has free rein to do what it does best on 11 fine new songs. [May 2008, p.111]
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Another Country, whether in rock or country mode, is an album built on the voice of its artist.
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Another Country is never less than an effortless, inviting listen by an artist who fully deserves to be a major star within her genre.
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The North Carolina native's third album unveils deceptively sharp tales of hearts in distress, implying fierce emotions just under the surface. [Mar 2008, p.106]
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There's the occasional splash of lap-steel to appease fans, but not nearly enough for the diehards among them. [29 Feb 2008, p.59]
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Q MagazineDespite some straight-ahead country rocking and blue-eyed soul, it's on the title track, a finely crafted meditation on love's bewildering ways, where she really finds her own voice, setting her apart from the pack. [May 2008, p.136]
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UncutMerritt's pure voice is mostly accompanied by gentle piano on a set of songs that ultimately lack the fire of her earlier work. [June 2008, p.100]
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Another Country just isn't nearly as consistently satisfying as Merritt's earlier offerings.
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More coffeehouse than roadhouse, it recalls the tasteful country-pop of her debut, "Bramble Rose," which makes it a step backward in more ways than one.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 6 out of 7
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Mixed: 0 out of 7
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Negative: 1 out of 7
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GregSMar 17, 2008
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HansW.Mar 5, 2008