Whenever the Grammy Awards roll around, I find myself paying far more attention to the “down-ticket” categories than the main ones. While the endless debates about the artistic merits of Harry Styles versus Beyoncé light up Twitter, a Grammy win for one of the lesser-known artists can do wonders for their career. This year I was especially excited for Molly Tuttle winning the award for Best Bluegrass Album (she was also nominated for Best New Artist). Tuttle is one of the leading bluegrass guitar wizards of our age. Her album, Crooked Tree, featured a solid fusion of country, folk and bluegrass. The deluxe edition included an exceptional cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Dire Wolf.”
In the days prior to her victory, Tuttle released a cover of Olivia Rodrigo’s “good 4 u.” As those familiar with Rodrigo’s work know, hell hath no fury like a high school girl scorned. “Remember when you swore to God I was the only person who ever got you?/Well, screw that and screw you.”
With her acoustic cover, Tuttle beautifully captures the teenage angst of Rodrigo’s pop masterpiece, blending multiple musical styles. The opening verses have a jazzy feel, as she sings along to an upright bass. In the multiple choruses, she pushes the track squarely into the country/Americana space, expertly delivering Rodrigo’s lyrics. For the finale, she comes across like a punk rocker who suddenly found an acoustic guitar. But the real fireworks occur at the 1:50 mark when she delivers a thunderous guitar solo. The fury of her fingerpicking is enough to scare any high schooler’s wayward boyfriend into submission.
Now that’s a cover worthy of an award show.
Click here to listen to more covers by Molly Tuttle.
