A powerful and beautiful album by an artist that makes it sound effortless…
Released on 3 November 2017 by Amadeus Music and reviewed by Stephen Brophy
Being The daughter of Steve Marriot (Small Faces, Humble Pie), far too many people will focus on Mollie Marriott’s name and make an impression in their head before even hearing what she sounds like. But that would be a mistake. Yes, the name is naturally going to make people sit up and take a little more notice than perhaps they normally would. But the only thing that really matters is just how good the voice is and how good the songs are. There are a multitude of great voices out there, just not that many great singers. Alongside the likes of Lynne Jackaman and Jo Harman, Mollie Marriott can certainly be added to the list of exceptional talents in the UK at the moment. There are many other very talented voices out there, but these three in particular have that ability to blend rock with soul and bear that wonderful skill of being able to illicit raw emotion in their songs.
Having made the transition from backing vocalist to creating her own debut album, after listening to this it’s unfathomable as to why it’s taken so long. This really is a classy piece of work. There are numerous highlights here, from powerful lead track ‘Control’ to the more sullen ‘Broken’, which in places is a little reminiscent of Stevie Nicks. There’s a terrific control in the delivery, and in the flow of the album, everything just fits together so well.
The band sound great throughout, as do the backing vocals which weave through some of the songs, and everything is polished but not overly so. The production has been handled with care allowing the vocals to take the role of hero but ensuring that the music frames it perfectly. The highlight for me here is the haunting beauty of ‘Give Me A Reason’ which is just a stunning song, building as it proceeds and hitting a crescendo before fading away again towards its conclusion. This really is a piece of beauty.
There aren’t any lowlights here. There is variety in style and delivery, but this is a collection of excellent songs. There certainly have not been many releases of this quality in 2017. Mollie is on Tour in the UK through November, and it will be brilliant to get to hear these songs come to life in a live setting.
There is more than enough in this album to lead you to believe Mollie Marriott has just made her own stamp on the road to what will be a long and positive musical journey. What direction the next release will take will be interesting to see, as will the coming collaborations with other artists, having already heard a great one with Bad Touch everything is pointing forwards. Don’t let this album slip by. Whatever your musical tastes there should be more than enough here to bring a smile to your face. Just shut yourself off, put some headphones on and allow this music to wash over you like waves. It really is a worthwhile experience.
Track list:
- Control
- Broken
- Truth Is A Wolf
- Give Me A Reason
- Run With The Hounds
- Love Your Bones
- Transformer
- Fortunate Fate
- King Of Hearts
- My Heaven Can Wait
