I’ll tell it straight, I’ve had some problems with Molly Hammar in the past, including her propensity to engage with snarling male rappers on backing vocals to the detriment of her songs and overuse of expletives. Song titles like ‘DOUCHEBAG’ (which features on the EP) leave little to the imagination.
On the other hand I did give a favourable review to her single ‘Alone’ (also on the EP) last year so time to give her another hearing.
To put this into some sort of context, female advocacy is Molly’s thing, along with unapologeticfemininity, body positivity and self-love, bereft of societal expectations. The fact that her last EP was called ‘Sex’ and “unpacked the stigma surrounding female pleasure” leaves you in no doubt about what’s coming your way. Okay we’ve been here before with Madonna but she was a one-off, wasn’t she?
For many people, male and female, that is fine but for some the message can be rammed home too hard and too often.
So it was with a degree of trepidation that I settled down to ‘FRIENDS’, confident that Ross, Chandler, Rachel, Phoebe and the rest probably wouldn’t feature in it.
But she diversifies somewhat with this EP and says “I want it to be a friend when you’re feeling lonely. I want to remind people of the importance of accepting their loneliness and talk about it more frequently in different ways.” The single too is about “not wanting to feel lonely and romanticising a friendship that shouldn’t be any more than that, just because you don’t want to feel alone.” Perhaps the Central Perk crowd should put in an appearance.
And fair dues, it’s a pretty good song, well put together, there’s melody a-plenty, a foot-tapping beat, it’s danceable, there’s a strong vocal with a little voice distortion in the opening bars to drag you in, nothing in the lyrics to merit sending the kids to their room, and an all-round feel good awareness to it.
If she’s not careful I’ll be a fan before long.
‘God is Lonely Too’ was released on 16th April (Cosmos Music)