Molly Sarlé and Ryan Gustafson Make a Midwinter Splash with Two New Singles

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Singer-songwriters Molly Sarlé and Ryan Gustafson have a lot in common, most recently an upcoming joint tour, and singles which hit Spotify right as January drew to a ragged close. Sarlé’s plaintive, crooning “Human,” was released on January 28, and Gustafson’s “Road to Heaven,” came out three days later. The songs—plaintive and touched with a restless mysticism, both—breathe fresh air into the new month. 

Gustafson, who makes music under the name The Dead Tongues, is a legacy fixture of the Triangle music scene, though he moved to Asheville several years ago. That was where he ended up recording “Road to Heaven," in small cabin after years of fiddling with the track. The iteration we heart today has a kind of Dylan-esque weariness (and wisdom) about it: You can practically hear the pack-shifting as the wayfaring singer climbs the celestial ladder. 

“Human,” produced by Sam Evian, is Sarlé’s debut single, although she’s been making music with Mountain Man for the better part of a decade, as well as backing other Triangle acts. As debuts go, “Human” is especially arresting. Sarlé’s dreamy vocals are a good match for her mythical-feeling lyrics. There’s also something weirdly reassuring in hearing her drift through the chorus of “hew-man,” over and over again. Sarlé’s set to release her debut LP later this year on Partisan Records.