Let’s slow it down a little bit. Fall is here! The weather might finally stay cold soon, so we need music that reflects the collective melancholy in our hearts. Enter Mol Sullivan.
Her debut EP is titled “A Little Hello,” released in 2023 – a little EP that made a big impression on me at first listen. The Cincy singer/songwriter introduced her sound to the world with a tight collection of moody tracks and spellbinding vocals that really showcases the skill of her craft.
And her voice is the keystone of the operation. The ending track of the EP, “Golden” meanders through four-and-a-half minutes at close to a crawl, but is nonetheless completely captivating. Not to say that the rest of the record is any less interesting, because tracks like “Frontrunner” hone in on a lo-fi, bedroom pop energy that’s super approachable.
But the real star of the show is her debut LP that was released the year after, “Goose.” Sullivan spreads her wings musically against the same nakedly honest vocals that make her EP what it is.
“Like This Now” plays with time changes in a couple little passages, and the next track on the album, “Ask” is one of the darker songs in her catalogue. The half-whispered words down in her register, the soft, low wind section, strings that sound on the edge of creaking with tension – it’s all very atmospheric.
So, why is the record called “Goose?” The title track (that has this surprising vocal run I’ve never quite heard anything like) is quite clear – is she a swan or just a goose?
Esoteric, her lyrics are not; Sullivan trades in plain language. This is none more clear than on the song “Cannonball,” a lively track that veers into country with all the attitude of Alanis Morissette. “Looking for a savior / gettin’ in my own damn way” she sings over steel guitar twangs with a seeming knowing smile. It’s down-to-earth in a bit of a cliche way with the instrumentation, but the vocal delivery feels distinctly real here.
“Left my twenties / perverted and confused / a single note I’ve held for years / ‘cause I forgot the tune,” she wrote for the closing track of the album, “Biting Your Teeth.” Sullivan tends to write confessionally, but it’s on a different level here. There’s always a bit of a distance between a singer and a listener, but with this track, it feels like she’s looking me right in the eye. And it just fades out.
Anyway, Mol Sullivan is a big recommendation from me. If you like trudging around in dead leaves, staring into the distance, or laying down in the pouring rain, I promise you’ll get something out of this artist.
You can find last week’s feature on Moonbeau here. Leave a comment on our Instagram or email me at ebloomfield@linknky.com with your suggestions for next week’s local band highlight!