Released – May 4th - 2023 on Prickly Dick Label.(Explicit content in some tracks) Reviewed 25th May 2023 by Rockin Rebel. Buy the album here: https://mollystarlites.square.site/.../don-t-light.../123...
Members Molly Starlite (all instruments)
Review Don’t Light the Dynamite is a 12 track album of original self-penned tracks written by Molly. Born and still lives in rural North Idaho in the USA on land that has been in her family for over 80 years. Buying and selling classic cars to save the money to build her own property. Tommy Lee(husband) built Molly her very own studio on the grounds to allow her to write and record her own compositions and teach herself DEW. (Digital audio workstation) plus audio engineering and production. Learning new instruments such as the drums and bass. She provides all the backing music on these tracks. Really wanting to release her material, Molly took advice on releasing singles so in June of 2022 Gaslight was released and then a release every month. Now all with brand new mixing and remastering with four added brand-new tracks, this is Molly at her finest. So, let's light the touch paper and let the dynamite explode.
Track by track Dynamite. Some songs just appear from nowhere, so whilst making her way to her self-built studio a completely random thought enters the head of Molly, and within days the track is written. It carries a lot of emotion and that can clearly be heard in the vocals. Having been used after dedicating her time for such a long time to be just cut off and out of the picture when fortunes are made. Molly’s vocals are superb, and the playing of the instruments are simple but effective. Don’t try to keep a woman scorned down. Great opening track and nice little stroller.
Breathless. During a time in 2021 whilst test driving a revamped car ready to sell and fund the house and pay the bills. Molly once again was inspired by her surroundings and started to sing the lines that became this track which she dedicated to her husband Tommy Lee. Molly tells how she always writes a song for him on special occasions and driving this car was no exception. Cracking vocals and emotional lyrics. Harmonies are well placed. A strong drumbeat runs the backing with bass coming through alongside the organ in the background.
A Little Magic A mid paced romance track with some excellent guitar work. Molly tells how she re-recorded this track from 2019. Molly has such a stunning vocal and sings this track with passion. A strong bass line on the backing flows along with a nice guitar riff. Excellent track.
Gaslight Deep emotion in the lyrics. The best thing sometimes about songs is that it can release your inner thoughts or worries. Gaslight is about folk that have passed through Molly’s life or anybody if it comes to that, and not always left a great memory of them. I really love Molly’s Vocals on this track backed with a deep bass and a tambourine beat. Another great track.
Fever. Rockin intro with some nice guitar licks and drums. Not to be mistaken for the Peggy Lee version from 1958. Molly writes how she took over 16 months to complete this song, before finally completing it in June of 2022. It takes inspiration from a track by Belinda Carlisle. It does come across as an early 80s pop track but with great vocals and music playing from Molly.
Imaginary Friends Great intro using the bass and guitar with the piano sitting in the back. Molly had only just begun playing the bass on this album but uses it very well within the tracks, and the song tells the story of friends that have been and gone just leaving the feeling of the imaginary friends. Some great writing once again that turns into a great song.
Smokeshow Another great guitar intro that leads into the vocals of this great rockin track. Molly explains that this song took a bit of writing but finally came together in the end, and I’m so glad it did. The backing track keeps your toes tapping and your head nodding to the beat. Smokeshow gives the story of attraction to somebody you maybe should not be, like the local bad boy/girl. Really well written and produced.
Anyway Molly gives the insight to the track, telling how she felt after being removed from the lives of people she cared deeply for. The emotion is clearly in the vocal and I bet a few tears during its recording. Molly duets with herself in parts with the harmonies. Tender guitar plays along with her hands tapping the rhythm out on the drum. Beautiful song.
I’m in a Bad, Bad Way First recorded in 2021 but was never intended for release, says Molly. I’m agreeing with Molly that it's too good a track to leave it on the shelf. So, for the first time not using the band, playing all the backing herself re-recorded and remixed for this album. Intro is great, using the drums to bring in the vocals with the organ drifting in the background. Great lyrics that show Molly once again to be a top lyricist.
Relax Great number, telling the story of just enjoying yourself with your own surroundings and just being yourself. Something that has not always been easy for the writer. Great up tempo beat and as the song goes, she is just getting started.
Rumors Well, this track takes on a different road, starts with what can be described as a marching drum beat then as quickly it changes to a tango. Molly tells how this song was written in fifteen minutes during a drive home. She plays some great drums on this track combined with a multitude of instruments like the piano, guitar.
So Long Farewell, Goodbye The song is self-explanatory within the lyrics of someone that moves forward from a bad situation or relationship. Some explicit lyrics within the track that come from the emotion of the song. Once again musically spot on with a great sound. Molly brings this album to a close with this track and it fits right in with the album's story.
Summary: What an album, truly great from the first to the last track. It deserves to be up alongside albums from Fleetwood Mac and Texas. A roller-coaster of emotion between each track. The good times and the bad times are all included. Even though many of the tracks have previously been released I believe that more emotion has been put into these remixed versions. Molly’s vocals are truly adorable. This definitely a roots album with an eighties/modern day feel. Loved it.
Bio: If you're looking for catchy rockabilly-blues-pop music with more hooks than your Uncle Dan's tacklebox and a timeless retro feel, you have come to right place! I've been writing all my own songs my whole life, and, since 2020, I've been performing all the instruments and vocals, and producing and engineering all my own recordings from my Prickly Dick Records studio here in rural North Idaho. If you like the music of Gin Wigmore, Elle King, Delta Rae, Belinda Carlisle, The Bangles, Amy Winehouse, ZZ Ward, and similar blues-infused pop rock, you'll probably like my music.
YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/r-D1GcH61uY
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