Tambourine: Tift Merritt (Lost Highway Records)
 IF you're a BBC Radio Two listener then no doubt you will have heard of a song called Good Hearted Man from Tift Merrit.

To be on the playlist along with the likes of Coldplay, James Blunt, Charlotte Church and U2 is quite an achievement. Hailing from North Carolina, Tift released her first offering, Bramble Rose, in 2002 which coincided with a tour of Britain.

This year, following her second release, Tambourine, she revisits with dates in her own right and other appearances as opening act for Dwight Yoakum. Coinciding with this tour, Lost Highway records release a special limited edition of Tambourine combined with her Bramble Rose debut release.

Both albums are a treat if you like modern country music as she encapsulates many styles woven delicately into many of her self-penned songs. Last Monday she gained further acclaim with a one-off show at London's Mean Fiddler as the only date on her European tour. She appears at Newcastle's Evolution Festival (0191 232 1232) on May 19 and will be at the Sage in Gateshead on July, 23 with Dwight Yoakum.