#14 – Tift Merritt – Traveling Alone
Tift Merritt makes her first appearance on this list, but not her last, with 2012’s Traveling Alone.
This album has a more laid-back, acoustic vibe than her previous work. One thing I love about Merritt is that every one of her records is distinct in sound and mood while remaining undeniably true to her general sensibility.
I think of Traveling Alone as her road album, though not the kind of road album that evokes images of roadies unloading after a gig. A Tift Merritt road album puts her in a car with her guitar in the back seat, stopping at roadside café’s for a cup of tea and a piece of pie.
My favorite concert experience ever was seeing Merritt perform the bulk of this album in a room the size of my kitchen for a few dozen people. It was more a conversation than a concert, and this album beautifully evokes both that night.
Nothing wasted and no deal to make.
What you need is what you want to take,
And what you take you use –
I’m just looking for that sweet spot
Where I can live the way that I want.
I’ll be waiting for you out front,
If you want me to.
Are you coming too?
The fire is steady and the beat strong.
The give is good and wide and long.
You don’t even have to hold on,
Cause it’s got a hold of you –
I’m just looking for that sweet spot,
Where I can love the way I want.
I’ll be waiting for you out front,
If you want me to.
Are you coming too?
And when I find that sweet spot, gonna give it everything I got.
Turn up the radio a whole lot for the afternoon.
Soft as a woman and strong as a man,
Throws your head back in a full mouth laugh,
It’s like knowing you can sleep at night
But you don’t want to –
I’m just looking for that sweet spot,
Where I can live the way that I want.
I’ll be waiting for you out front,
If you want me to.
Are you coming too?
Meet Me In Montauk 
I’m sure Tift would be honored, though maybe a bit surprised, to find herself in someone’s list of top albums of the decade.