Molly Brandt spins a shining debut with her new album American Saga. It’s is a collection of vignettes and stories set in the American landscape, and the various issues and experiences living in it. The lines between reality and fantasy experience blur in each song’s narrative, and across as raw and emotional. In one song, she reminisces about her musical journey to Crystal City, and in another, she plays the daughter of an oil tycoon running away from home. The album deals with themes of climate change, sex and love, abuse and alienation.
American Saga opens with “Nicotine”, a track on addiction to people, bad relationships, phones and social media. Molly showcases an impressive vocal skills in this first track, holding notes impressively long and waivers her voice. She infuses a “Southern Bell” voice with rich texture, and inverts any trope or expectations with her lyrics.
“Ashes” introduces eco-anxiety into the album narrative, featuring higher chords and interplays between chimes and electric guitars. I found the upbeatness to be a unique take on climate change. Another highlight is “Dollar Stores and Strip Malls”, a story of bland capitalist transformation of small towns. Sonically, the songs “Mr. Texas” and “Sunup” feature catchy choruses and great melodies. The instruments are warm, and I found myself humming along. The narrative on “Mr. Texas” is echoed further in the album on“Beg, Steal, Borrow”, a soulful recount on the aftermath of sexual assault.
Molly’s storytelling reveals its detail and honesty here in this ballad. The song tells of a girl leaving Iowa over mournful strings. She learned guitar from an older man, a skill necessary for country music; he would later assault her. Molly’s vocals effectively capture the girls desire to get away from this pain and abuse. The album ends with the song “One Land Bridge”, which is full of playful violins, banjos and tambourines, a great homage to the small country instruments that define the genre.
A couple of the songs are a bit slow for my liking. I enjoy the aquatic strings on “Queen of Clark County”, but found the chorus to be lacking whenever it cuts to the refrain. And “So Long, Colorado” was slow for my taste, the track drawn out to nearly 5 minutes. At least half the interludes are unnecessary; yet, Eric Julio Carranza, Reilly Downes, and the rest of the features flesh out the album and do an excellent job.
Overall, the exceptional storytelling and song-writing set this album apart in the country scene. Molly Brandt gives a vivid portrayal of American life, and builds on what being a country artist means in the future. Her themes are sweeping and reach fans both new and old.
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