FEATURE: Spotlight: Molly Sarlé — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

Spotlight

Molly Sarlé

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I am eager to put under the spotlight…

an artist who has just released one of the most interesting and evocative albums of 2019 – I shall come to that a bit later. Molly Sarlé is part of the American trio, Mountain Man, who blend traditional American Folk with Appalachian Folk; it is a mix that puts acoustic guitar alongside haunting, beauty vocals. Unlike a lot of trios, the emphasis is less on creating a harmony with instruments/vocals: for Mountain Men, the emphasis is very much on the vocal chemistry and weave. I suggest you check out their work because, with a new E.P. out, Mountain Man Sings John Denver, here is another sparkling work! Sarlé has stepped out solo to give us a sublime album that retains elements of Mountain Man but brings something new into the pot. According to her Bandcamp page, Sarlé can be described thus:

“From the cliffs of Big Sur to the North Carolina backwoods - Molly Sarlé brings open-hearted, unflinching songwriting perfect for late-night karaoke comedowns, plaintive morning walks, and conjuring the spirit world. West Coast incantations with a warm, Appalachian glow”.

This year has been a very varied and exciting one. I think female artists have made the biggest impact and, when you listen to artists like Molly Sarlé, you are transported somewhere wonderful. She is a captivating artist who can buckle the knees; her songs arrest the senses and you find yourself coming back for more. Karaoke Angel, apart from its cool title – I think Why by Annie Lennox is Sarlé’s karaoke song of choice! –, is rich with emotion, beauty and strength.

If the music itself wasn’t reason enough to throw respect the way of Sarlé, she also has a musical confidante in the form of Feist. In this interview with Vanity Fair, Sarlé explained how she was having doubts and, when speaking with Feist, some clarity came about:

“For another person, this story might be the beginning of a career in the industry or doing something else entirely, but not everyone has Leslie Feist to serve as their fairy godmother. While Feist was in town, Sarlé confided in her about the difficulty she was facing and how she was thinking about becoming a session singer. According to Sarlé, Feist said, “You're a lightning bolt, there aren't very many of those. You should do your own thing.”

Despite having recording experience and a few songs under her belt, Sarlé said the experience of working solo with a band taught her how much she had left to learn. ”When I started to write this record, I had never actually sat down and tried to write a song before. Usually they would just happen,” she said. “So a big part of the process was even figuring out how to make myself sit down and work on music”.

One can get lost in Sarlé’s world and immerse themselves. Not only is the music dreamy and comforting but the lyrics are arresting and thought-provoking. I think there are too many young songwriters who are writing in a very predictable manner; love described rather simply; the songs lack that nuance and intrigue.

Of course, when you have a skilled and fascinating songwriter like Sarlé on your hands, the songs can get misconstrued. There are reviews in for Karaoke Angel – I shall quote a couple soon – and, as she explained when speaking with Aquarium Drunkard, some can leap to the wrong conclusions when faced with her music:

“AD: Were those the scariest songs to write on the record?

Molly Sarlé: “Suddenly” was really difficult to put out into the world because of how differently it is interpreted by men and women, not to get too gendered. [Laughs]

AD: You can get gendered. Do men misread that song due to its sexual subject matter?

Molly Sarlé: They completely misread it. It’s about a particularly female experience. Part of what the song is saying is, “Listen, I’ve painted the entire picture for you, so that you can understand what this feeling is like,” and to have people [miss the point], even when I’m trying to spell it out for them, is really frustrating.

That’s a song where I sat down and it just came out. Part of the song is about robbing yourself through your own performance of yourself. I was coming to the realization that was something I had been doing while I was writing the song. It was empowering to have that realization. That’s what the song is most centrally about.

AD: In “Human” you sing “Who hasn’t talked to God like he’s a man?/I do it all the time on accident.” Why does it feel accidental to approach God that way?

Molly Sarlé: In one word, the patriarchy. I was raised Catholic. I think a lot of things are changing…but as far as who holds power in our world, externally, it’s white men. So if you’re speaking to God like you’re speaking to power…I think it’s so easy to idealize people in positions of power, and project that onto love interests”.

There are tour dates coming up in the U.S. - and I hope she comes to the U.K. next year (she was recently here performing). Her live sets are celebrated, and I recommend, if you can go and see her, then you do so! Although Molly Sarlé might not get the same attention and spotlight as some of the bigger artists around, she is a fantastic artist who has crafted a stunning album in the form of Karaoke Angel. Pitchfork had this to say:

“Sarlé fluctuates between knowing who she is and what she wants, and convincing herself that others hold those keys. “I wanna tell you if you lead me back to myself/I won’t go running to anyone else,” she sings on “Human,” her billowy vocals making the loaded promise seem effortless. Her journey to understanding—that long drive with only a rearview mirror—may have its limits, but storytelling offers a space for control. On Karaoke Angel, Sarlé wields her voice with power, finding actualization in the act of telling. On “Dreams,” her whisper works its own pace against winding synths. “I’ve been working on a version of the truth/I think you’re gonna like it,” she sings. “Call it a song you can sing along to”.

It is a magnificent record and I am interested seeing what comes next for Sarlé. Her voice has this transcendent quality and her songs, whilst personal, can be taken to heart by so many different people. When providing their review, Secret Meeting talk about possible influences (for Sarlé) and which songs stand out:

“And on top of this is her attempt at telling her own story. Singing verse to a new partner’s ex-wife on Kimberly, and regaling tales of old lovers brawling with substance addictions on This Close, she brings together thoughts from a range of chaotic-ish experiences which nod to an anything goes-sort-of attitude.

Home, This Close and Faith For Doubt are the clear standouts. Suddenly, which combines appalling wry lyrics to a lovely melody, unfolds in fits and starts, which all bring out a clear thesis throughout the ten-tracks: Sarlé has no concerns with wearing her influences on her sleeves.

Often finding herself onstage singing Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams on Karaoke, along with Sheryl Crow and Mazzy Star records, the Nicks and Buckingham touches can be found strewn across the record, both in the vocal delivery, instrumentation and driving rhythms. Faith For Doubt and This Close take many pointers from The War on Drugs, particularly the reverb-drenched production. While you can hear Haim in Suddenly.

On Karaoke Angel, it feels like Molly Sarlé has put her flag in the ground and found a place where she’s comfortable with musically and lyrically. Now, if she chooses it, is a new path forwards”.

If you are unfamiliar with Molly Sarlé then I recommend that you get behind her. She is a fantastic artist and someone who has a very bright future. I think there will be more solo albums and I am excited to learn whether Sarlé has any dates confirmed in the U.K. for 2020; there are a lot of people who want to see her do her thing! I shall leave things there but encourage people to grab a copy of Karaoke Angel or, if not, stream it. Such a magnificent record and one that deserves a lot of willing and passionate ears. It just goes to show that this year keeps getting…