Molly Tuttle’s Crooked Tree

I didn’t have time to write a full on review of the new Molly Tuttle & The Golden Highway Album, Crooked Tree, but the album is too good for me to wait. Tuttle is known predominantly as a bluegrass artist. That’s too small a box to put Tuttle in and Crooked Tree makes that clear. While there is an abundance of bluegrass and old-time music on this album, there is an equal amount of bluegrass influenced country.

I think it’s fair to say that, on Crooked Tree, Molly Tuttle is very much like Dolly Parton. The music of Appalachia is an integral component of most of her songs, but not the whole story. In many cases, it’s more of an influence to what is an otherwise traditional country song. Even her voice, with it’s high soprano and natural vibrato, reminds me of Parton.

Tuttle is also an accomplished guitar and banjo player. The Golden Highway does a great job of supplementing rather than overshadowing her talent. The same is true of her guests that include country star Margo Price, Americana band Old Crow Medicine Show, and bluegrass greats Gillian Welch and Dan Tyminski. All meld with Tuttle but do not overpower her.

Whether you like country, Americana, bluegrass, or just about any genre in proximity to them, you will love this album. Crooked Tree is a keeper.