Molly Sarlé - Karaoke Angel
Karaoke Angel is the solo album from Mountain Man's Molly Sarlé. A collection of songs of honesty and openness expressed with beauty. Clearly an empath she sings of others with tenderness and understanding, as well as expressing her own experiences.
Sympathetically produced by Sam Evian who obviously gets what the songs are about, sometimes the songs are stripped bare making them all the more powerful.
An example is one of the standout tracks, Almost Free, about a conversation with her Father at a time when he was contemplating suicide. A sensitive, haunting piece including a powerfully intense pause. Another is stunning album closer Passenger Side, just vocals, electric guitar and subtle bass … and a lot of feeling.
The mood and tempo is contrasted with the more uptempo, such as the full-band Faith for Doubt about channeling the spirit world whilst stoned.
Recorded over a three-year period in California, North Carolina and New York in trailers and monasteries everything on Karaoke Angel is expressed atmospherically with a wide breadth of feeling, a cohesion making the songs sit well together. An emotional ride, this is an open, tender, expressive and moving album by someone who clearly feels things deeply with the gift of empathy, putting it all to extraordinary effect with her music and songwriting on this fine record.
8.5/10
