In early 2014, Merlo signed a record deal with Open Road Recordings and spent approximately eight months developing her sound.[3] She released her debut single, "Sinking Like a Stone", on February 18, 2014.[4] The song stayed on the Canada Country chart for 20 weeks and reached a peak position of 32, which helped to establish Merlo's presence on Canadian country radio.[5] That summer (July 22, 2014), she released an eponymous debut extended play, along with a new single, "Alive".[6][7]
Merlo experienced a commercial breakthrough in 2015 with the release of her third single, "Honey Jack." The track reached the top 25 on the Canada Country chart and the song's success contributed to her being chosen as the opening act on Dean Brody and Paul Brandt's The Road Tour that year.[8] At the 2015 Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards, Merlo won the prestigious Rising Star award.[9] The fourth single, "Whatcha Wanna Do About It" became Merlo's first top-10 at country radio. Free Soul was made available for pre-order on April 19, 2016.[9][10]
Content
Merlo previously recorded a version of "Ready to Say Goodnight" with duet partner Tim Hicks on the latter's 2014 album, 5:01.[11]
Critical reception
Nanci Dagg of Canadian Beats wrote that Free Soul is "extremely well written and well produced – from the first song to the last," and found the full-length album format "refreshing."[8]
Tom Harrison of The Vancouver Sun was ambivalent toward the record's duelling country and pop influences but criticized Merlo's lack of personality. "Through it all," he writes, "Merlo sings well (and even writes a few songs) without having a personal style."[12]
