Emotional Folk and Soul Collide in Molly Bogin’s New EP “Attachment Cycle”
Singer-songwriter Molly Bogin may have roots in Springfield, Massachusetts, but her voice and vision are far-reaching. With a background in folk, gospel, and musical theater and inspirations like Norah Jones, Bonnie Raitt, and Julia Jacklin, Bogin’s new EP “Attachment Cycle” is a genre-defying, emotional journey. While the record spans seven songs, a few key tracks stand out as pillars of her artistry, each revealing layers of heartbreak, introspection, and eventual healing.
“When the Neon Fades” is the emotional linchpin of the project. With its jazzy saxophone solo and lyrics, the song captures the ache of late-night longing. Bogin’s delivery is soft but weighty, calling to mind the raw sincerity of Amy Winehouse. The imagery is vivid, phantom limbs of a relationship still aching even after it’s gone, and the production, co-crafted with Will Saulsky, gives it a smoky, noir-like atmosphere.
Another standout, “3am,” brings the listener into a bleary-eyed moment of reckoning. Laced with lo-fi textures and a refrain that lingers, “Let me leave you behind,” the song becomes an anthem for emotional boundaries and self-liberation. The lyrics feel lived-in, tinged with exhaustion and resolve. It’s a brutally honest portrait of being tethered to someone who won’t meet you halfway.
Then there’s “I Want You to Be Sad,” arguably the rawest track on the EP. It doesn’t hide behind metaphors. Instead, it confronts the complexities of grief and resentment in the wake of love. The pain is unfiltered, the delivery deeply personal. Bogin’s vulnerability here is staggering, even poetic, as she confesses to watching for echoes of her past lover in the faces of strangers.
But “Attachment Cycle” isn’t all sorrow; it ends on a note of quiet triumph. “Dancing in the Rain” closes the EP with a dreamy, meditative quality. Bogin reclaims her imagination, her joy, and her inner landscape. It’s a mantra of resilience, suggesting that even amid emotional wreckage, creativity and selfhood endure.
“This EP is the convergence of several songs written during an emotionally volatile period of my life. Throughout this period (and writing process), I listened to albums that made me feel comforted, which included artists I grew up with and artists I discovered on my own. It was through listening and feeling to the works of other musicians that I was able to express my own truths, in all the different styles that they came out of me.” — Molly Bogin
What makes “Attachment Cycle” so compelling isn’t just its musicianship, though the arrangements, from Jimmy Kraft’s saxophone to Johnnie Gilmore’s bass work, are top-notch; it’s the sincerity pulsing through every note. While the full EP is worth a listen, these highlights alone reveal a voice that’s not only musically mature but emotionally fearless. “Attachment Cycle” feels like a warm, handwritten letter. It’s a gift of presence and honesty, and Molly Bogin is an artist to keep both eyes and ears on.