Molly Burch - "Please Be Mine"

There is an intoxicating allure to Molly Burch. It begins with her voice, which is one of the most sensational to grace the planet. Like a chameleon, Burch transforms her voice to fit the mood and song, whether it is doo wop, classic country-folk, or ’60s bubble gum pop. It can be smokey a la Patti Smith, have a warble akin to Patsy Cline, take on the southern charm like Angel Olsen, or soar with a beautiful radiance like Neko Case. On her debut album, Please Be Mine, Burch’s vast range and incredible vocal prowess take center stage. However, one does not get this far with just a single talent, as the Austin-based, Los Angeles-born artist reveals she is much more than a pretty voice.

While at first listen Please Be Mine feels like a concept album built around the trials and tribulations of a single relationship, it is more like J.D. Salinger’s Nine Stories – a series of short stories built around common themes but telling the tales of several individuals at different phases in their lives. Like a great storyteller, Burch seamlessly moves from the role of the protagonist to the narrator. When the two elements come together, the results are often devastatingly beautiful, such as on The Shirelles-esque, emotional roller coaster “Fool”; the lustful “Try”, which sees Burch take on the role of a smokey jazz singer; and the tantalizing country-rocker “Please Forgive Me”.

The shimmering “Downhearted” is Burch at her most seductive, as her whispery vocals have a bedroom intimacy. The melancholic, country-folk number “Loneliest Heart”, meanwhile, is sheer enchantment, as Burch’s warble adds to the effect of a woman struggling to make her way through another day. It is not just merely a song about heartbreak, but about the vulnerability of a person when things fall apart.

The most cinematic song on the album is the title track. “Please Be Mine” is introspective and retrospective, as Burch tells the story of a woman who left the love of her life behind. Feelings of regret permeate through the song, as the protagonist reflects on what was and what could have been. By this point in the album, Burch’s voice and love stories have stolen our hearts. And when this marvelous album comes to its conclusion with the beautiful and moving “I Love You Still”, only reaction remains – Molly, please be mine!

Please Be Mine is out now via Captured Tracks. It can be ordered from the label or on Bandcamp.

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