Releasing an all-covers record usually signals the need for a placeholder in a musical career running short on inspiration or songwriting or both. But in this case, taking the old "necessity is the mother of invention" adage to heart, rising star Molly Tuttle taught herself Pro Tools while sheltering at home in Nashville because of the pandemic and began recording a selection of her favorite songs. She sent these voice and guitar demos to Los Angeles producer Tony Berg who enlisted a crew of SoCal musicians to add their parts to the digital file. The greatest danger when albums are built from virtual contributions is that the sonics can be iffy at best. Happily, Berg has taken care to make sure the finished album is well-balanced and retains the appealing atmosphere and rough-hewn intimacy of Tuttle's demos.
Equally adept at playing, singing and writing songs, Tuttle's rare musical gifts inoculate this project against the indulgence that often wrecks hermetic "in my room" projects. A prodigy on stringed instruments from the bluegrass universe—she's the first woman and a two-time winner of the International Bluegrass Music Association Guitar Player of the Year Award—she tackles the Rolling Stones early on, turning a version of "She's a Rainbow," into a fast flatpicking showcase. Capable of the tight vibrato necessary for bluegrass, her voice is also versatile enough to sing both the lead and harmony parts in a version of FKA Twigs' "Mirrored Heart." Another vocal highlight is her impossibly high-pitched Karen O impression on the Yeah Yeah Yeah's, "Zero"
While she didn't write the songs, Tuttle shows incredibly good taste in her choices. Not surprisingly, the tunes Tuttle grew up with come off best. A hard-charging, though still acoustic cover of Rancid's "Olympia, WA"—perhaps the album's most successful reimagining—is a fun surprise. On the other hand, it makes cosmic sense that a Grateful Dead tune, "Standing on the Moon,"—covered by a girl from Northern California—should come off as the album's least persuasive take-off. Saving her best for last, Tuttle's heartfelt vocal on Cat Stevens' magnificent, "How Can I Tell You," a song that reminds her of a beloved pet, is a passionate creation. Another axiom also applies here: use your time wisely. © Robert Baird/Qobuz