Top Songs of 2012 – #10

Tift Merritt’s fifth studio album, Traveling Alone, is a lower key affair than her previous releases. It is made up primarily of acoustic ballads with melodies that take a little while to seep in.

But in a few spots, Merritt and her band open up and settle into a blues-rock groove. Those songs quickly became favorites of mine, probably because they are more immediately accessible.

The best of them is ‘Spring,’ a sprawling track that starts off soft and slow before opening up into an extended jam punctuated by Merritt’s gravelly vocals.

I’ve come to appreciate all of Traveling Alone in the months since I first downloaded (yes, downloaded) it, but this song remains my favorite.