Molly Paddock – Before We Let The World In
Peculiar voice but sufficiently charming. A bit like the late Nanci Griffith, but South Carolina’s Molly Paddock isn’t country-oriented. Her music, not her voice, has shades of Kate Bush, a pinch of Rickie Lee Jones & lots of style in between, despite the spare showcase. Her intriguing voice is the focus of “Before We Let The World In” & many of the 12 short tunes in this collection.
The material can wear thin on listeners accustomed to more decorated musical scenarios emanating from their speakers or earbuds. The human voice can be enchanting & it is on “Pretty Bow,” with its seashell-sounding accompaniment. It finds Molly’s voice somewhat juvenile, like the 1920’s “Betty Boop” style vocalist Annette Hanshaw (“Who’s That Knockin’ At My Door”).
The spareness of the Jim Reilley-produced Before We Let The World In (Drops July 10/Independent/26:34) is also reminiscent of songs of the early folk singer who disappeared (you heard me right), Connie Converse. Missing for over 51 years. A brilliant songwriter & vocalist long before Bob Dylan. Her material was also spare, just an acoustic guitar & Connie’s voice, recorded primitively. No formal recording session. More instrumental muscle would enlighten Molly’s voice. Her tone is attractive & her musical avenue has originality. From song to song, including “Sky Gazer,” she explores eccentric vocal insinuations (Laurie Anderson) with half-jazz inflections of Annie Ross.
Her songs are creative, but not all are an easy sell (“Holy Sound”) since their musical delivery is unorthodox, spare & not characteristic of ballads. It sounds like a female singer alone in a room, strumming a guitar & producing a form of song that could be as mystifying as a Nick Drake piece (“Masterpiece”).
Molly’s debut LP shows restraint & simplicity. To be appreciated, one should listen in small doses to weed out the specialties from the mildly perplexing numbers. If you’re willing to swim through something different & singular, Molly Paddock will provide the bewildering high-toned sounds. On some, she uses a warm, well-developed ballad voice (“Map To The Moon”) that’s actually superb in a non-mainstream way.
How effective Molly could be with a full band is questionable. She does hint at being a good jazz chanteuse, but she isn’t a belter (Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand) or a full-range vocalist (Jane Oliver). Poignancy seems to play a big role in her tonality (“Quiet Little Things”). It lends her voice to a good style for children. Many tracks sound like demos, so don’t expect big production values. Expect good singing where the human voice is the instrument.
Music samples are available at Molly’s website.
Highlights – “Before We Let The World In,” “Pretty Bow,” “Sky Gazer,” “Masterpiece,” “Map To The Moon,” & “Quiet Little Things.”
Color image courtesy of Molly’s website. CD @ Apple & https://mollypaddockmusic.com/