25. March 2025
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Media Review

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway – Into the Wild EP

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway - Into The Wild

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway - Into The Wild
4.7

Rating

 4.7/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • A lovely wide range of bluegrass sounds
  • Even the three covers / re-recordings feel new and fresh
  • Great instrumental performance

I am rather used that country music is labeled as pop music or rock music on German promotion platforms. However, I was quite surprised when I ran into the new EP by Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway. Into the Wild has been flagged as jazz.. I was really curious f Molly Tuttle really changed her genre and had a listen to this 20th September 2024 release.

 

Molly Tuttle – About The Artist

Molly Rose Tuttle is a 14th January 1993-born artist from Santa Clara in California. Her music typically mixes bluegrass sounds with other Americana elements. So far she won the International Bluegrass Music Awards eight times, in different categories. Her third studio album Crooked Tree released in 2022 won a Grammy as the Best Bluegrass Album. I reviewed her albums twice so far. the 2020 … but I’d rather be with you and the July 2023 release City of Gold. In 2021, she joined forces with her new “dream band” Golden Highway. The band features Shelby Means (bass), Kyle Tuttle (banjo), Brownyn Keith-Hynes (violin) and Dominick Leslie (mandolin). Kyle Tuttle and Molly Tuttle are not related, by the way.

 

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway – Into The Wild – Track by Track

The six song EP lasts 26 minutes.

1. Into the Wild

The title track of the EP  has been released in parallel to the EP. The song features a lovely melody based on typical bluegrass elements. Especially the chorus leaves a beautiful mark. A very promising opener for this six song set.

Wind blows in the ponderosa pines
Like a song when I close my eyes
Memories go drifting by
And I’m gone into the wild 

2. Getaway Girl

The opening song is followed by the only two songs, which fans in fact don’t know yet – we will come to this point later. Getaway Girl comes with a fun and joyful melody, which is made to smile and dance. Especially the quick mandolin lines stay in your ears on top of the lovely singing by the US-American artist.

3. Here in California (feat. AJ Lee and Jack Tuttle)

The almost five minute track Here in California goes for a slower pace. The clear and warm voice of Molly Tuttle is beautifully accompanied by her “dream band” Golden Highway. The song works for rather romantic moments as well for enjoying a late summer evening. Definitely a beauty.

4. White Rabbit

The two singles shared before EP release have one thing in common: both are covers. The first one on the EP, White Rabbit is a Molly Tuttle-style version of Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit. The song has a slow tango-alike vibe, which works surprisingly well with the bluegrass instruments. The song does have this Latin feeling, but also is a bit of dark. This mixture feels fascinating to me.

5. Stranger Things (Down the Rabbit Hole version)

Stranger Things has already been released on the City of Gold album. However, for her 2024 EP, Molly Tuttle revamps it in this Down the Rabbit Hole version. The song is a beauty with a dramatic plot and a lovey melody – and I feel it even works out a bit better in this re-recording.

6. good 4 u

The EP Into The WIld closes with good 4 u. The song has originally been released by Olivia Rodrigo. The happy and pop-ish touch of the original works out well in Molly Tuttle’s version. However, she focuses on a dramatic plot. I am especially impressed by the chorus, which is great in the Golden Highway arrangement.

 

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway – Into The Wild – Spotify

Here is the EP on Spotify:

 

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway – Into The Wild – My View

I have to say that I am typically a bit of shy towards bluegrass. However, Molly Tuttle persuades me in these songs that I must be wrong somehow. The songs feel so different and the Californian lady and her band present some masterful arrangement. Despite the facts that there are three cover versions (including the “self cover”), Into The Wild feels fresh and new. Thus, it definitely deserves the thumbs up – and a Top Pick! rating – without having a jazzy feeling.

Favorite Song: Here in California

 

Country EPs Reviews 2024

Here are all Media Reviews of EPs with country music I did in 2024:

 

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