Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway — City of Gold
With their reputation firmly established, Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway managed to dig deeper to share a new batch of songs so heartfelt and played so magically you’ll be amazed all over again. Their new record, City of Gold, was produced by Jerry Douglas and Molly Tuttle; and recorded in January at Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville. It was engineered by Sean William Sullivan with assistant engineer David Paulin, and mixed by Sean William Sullivan and Jerry Douglas at Addiction Studios in Nashville. Then it was mastered by Paul Blakemore.
“El Dorado” (City of Gold) is Molly and Golden Highway ringing out nice and clear, strings played deftly and quickly, and a dark story unfolds. Molly’s vocals climb up and peak with a vulnerable wail, and back down again and there’s a shadowy quality to it all, in a story of Gold Rush Kate:”I’m Gold Rush Kate from the Golden State / With a nugget around my neck /I keep the red lights burning bright from here to hell and back / I’ve dug for silver and for gold from Boulder up to Haines / But when I hit Coloma boys I made my final claim”
“Where Did All the Wild Things Go” is a lament about gentrification “Now this town’s been tamed like a bear in a cage.” “San Joaquin” features chilly harmonies and ends with the homage to reefer “Toss me in a baggage car / Put that reefer in my mouth / Spark it up and send me south / Riding on the San Joaquin.”
“Yosemite” features the recognizable Dave Matthews on vocals which is a likable change-up in a sad song about a relationship that probably has reached its expiration date: “When all that remains is the gas in the tank / The tread on the tires and what’s left in the bank /Sometimes the road is the best remedy / For a love that’s grown old try some new scenery /So how many more miles to Yosemite.”
“Alice in the Bluegrass” is another of the songs that Tuttle has an uncanny knack for — presenting classic stories “And dance all night with a bottle in her hand / Lost in a backwoods wonderland / Toadstool fiddle and a cigarette bow / Where’d you come from Alice why’d you go,” with wild whirls of fiddle, banjo, and mandolin.
The album is sheer bluegrass excitement, with relatable stories and stunningly quick nimble playing. Shining a spotlight on the dark side of things, and a rollicking delight.
Musicians on the album are Molly Tuttle on acoustic guitar and vocals; and Golden Highway (Bronwyn Keith-Hynes on harmony vocals; Dominick Leslie on mandolin; Kyle Tuttle on banjo and harmony vocals and Shelby Means on bass and harmony vocals.) Additional contributions and cameos were made by Dave Matthews on vocals on “Yosemite”; Jerry Douglas on dobro on three songs; and Jordan Perlsan on drums on “Next Rodeo.”
Look for more information and tour dates here: https://www.mollytuttlemusic.com
Find our previous coverage here: Show Review: Molly Tuttle at Knoxvilles Summer Sessions