I had only just heard Molly Tuttle’s name for the first time as she recently appeared singing dynamic harmonies on Korby Lenker’s newest album. So it was quite a fortuitous surprise to learn that she had just released Rise, a 7-song mini album. And what a wonderful piece of work it is, too. Pure American sounds shining brightly – acoustic guitars, fiddles, banjos and one of the sweetest, natural voices I’ve heard in ages.
“Good Enough” is more than good enough; Ms. Tuttle’s singing matches the freewheeling, bluegrass feel of this track, which putters along at a good clip and leaves you catching your breath when it’s over; “You Didn’t Call My Name” is melancholic but the feel of Ms. Tuttle’s voice offsets the darker emotions of the music and the lyrics and “Save This Heart” has some astounding guitar playing and builds up in a taut, dramatic way with controlled guitar feedback which doesn’t distract and actually keeps the track in check as it goes from soft to fever pitch – and that ending is simply fantastic. “Lightning In A Jar” is soft and delicate, with Ms. Tuttle’s soothing voice and gentle guitars framed by a subdued mix of banjo, pedal steel runs and standup bass and “Friend And A Friend” is another bluegrass romper that’s completely irresistible and running rampant.
I have to admit – I’m quite taken by Ms. Tuttle’s performances; she delivers with an unpretentious freshness and natural warmth. The songs are all highly melodic and I found myself going back and listening to certain tracks over and over. If I can gripe about anything here, it’s that there aren’t more songs to marvel at. So here’s hoping it won’t be too long before Molly Tuttle brings us a full-length album. She’s quite a joy to hear.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Rise is currently available
https://www.mollytuttlemusic.com/
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