Album Review:  Molly Tuttle – …but I’d rather be with you  ( Molly Tuttle)

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Molly Tuttle is a musical prodigy who has a growing cult following among aficionados of American Roots music.

Born into a musical family, father Jack is a bluegrass performer and teacher. Played guitar with him at 11 years of age. At least two brothers also play. They have all played in the family band as The Tuttles.

There was much anticipation for her New Zealand appearance in 2019, among Bluegrass and Folk music fans. Especially as she had won a coveted gong. International Bluegrass Music Awards Guitar Player of the Year. In 2017 and 2018. The first woman to do so.

One album and EP into her solo career, but I’d Rather Be With You is a covers album. It is also a product of the constraints of quarantine. Recorded the tracks at her home, then sent them to producer Tony Berg to complete. Other musicians added their parts separately.

The result sounds warm and intimate. Molly’s superb Country/Folk voice is to the fore.

She’s a Rainbow. A Rolling Stones psychedelic phase flower-power classic. The Stones played it without irony. Molly does a straight-up version and reveals its Country heart whilst accenting its Eastern roots with some excellent acoustic finger-picking.

Something on Your Mind. Sad, mournful strings, personified stand-up bass. Soft drums sounding like the break of day. A violin plays a Gypsy melody.

Similar mood on Mirrored Heart, originally from FKA twigs. An accapella opening, muted instruments with a sparsely picked acoustic guitar. Then the voice jumps to high, delicate and slightly breathless. All for the gain/ All for the lovers trying to fuck away the pain. I’ve never heard fuck sung so sweetly. (That’s enough, Reverend– Ed)

Olympia, WA is from 90’s American Punk band Rancid. With a clawhammer strum on guitar, this now sounds Alt-Country. With an old-timey Uncle Dave Macon dance rhythm, fancy picking and swinging fiddle. Molly sings this with a little Country choke. Early Tom Petty in feeling and inspiration.

Standing on the Moon is a great song written by Robert Hunter for the Grateful Dead. Country cadences, a steel guitar or dobro plays slide. Sad and reflective, simple and straight Folk Country singing recalling Emmylou.

Standing on the moon/ I see the soldiers come and go/See South-East Asia/El Salvador/ ..but I’d rather be with you.

The Dead were the hippie heart of America. Counter-culture icons who could encapsulate the country and try and take it to spiritual heights at their best. This is a love song at its core.

Zero is from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. A count-in, then a fast-picked guitar intro. Country voice with a Gospel Yodel leap to the higher register which Molly sustains to a near-orgasmic pitch. The guitar plays this with rhythmic Country-Pop riffing, and then a solo which goes off into Celtic Appalachian mountain music territory.

Sunflower Vol.6 written by Harry Styles, and Cat Stevens’s How Can I Tell You  is back to Folk-Pop. Beautiful voice and guitar, surrounded with a soft dobro and strings. And what could be tablas but are probably congas.

Beautiful stuff from a favourite new artist. From the heart of quarantine and finger-picking a way through it. We’re half-awake in a Fake Empire/ Let’s not try to figure out everything at once.

Rev Orange Peel

    

 

Rev Orange Peel
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