Music is very much a meaning-making process. We pull from music not only to form our identities but also to use it as an aid to supplement memories and alter our moods. Yet out of all the diffuse purposes and auras music can conjure, I find the most special to be the feel-good anthem. But what makes a good anthem? Is it danceability, a memorable hook, intoxicating lyrics? As a fan of 60s rock groups like The Animals and The Remains, I search for a hard rock drive that drenches me in a facade of cool. And as an avid listener of dream-pop groups like Mazzy Star, I gravitate toward songs that leave me suspended in a sonic dreamscape.
“The Old Man’s House,” by Philadelphia-based artist, Star Moles, fits my definition of an anthem to a tee. Through a mix of psychedelic elements and celestial electronic ambient noise this track—which is the first on Star Moles’ latest release Here Lies Captain Joy— is able to accomplish a sound that feels at once timeless and refreshingly new.
Within its first few seconds, I was immediately reminded of the genre-defining organ riff of Question Mark & the Mysterians’ “96 tears”— a sound that’s the epitome of groove and anthemic by nature. “The Old Man’s House also carries a persistent guitar-led drive reminiscent of the relentlessly cool breakdown in Count Five’s “Psychotic Reaction.” Thus, listening to this track feels like a one-way ticket to nostalgia— and like any great anthem, it’s something that can be enjoyed by listeners of all ages. Yet while “The Old Man’s House” conjures the delectable organ-driven sound so scare among current artists, it adds a dream pop-esque ambiance that also makes it an enticing listen for more a contemporary audience.
It is in this ambient section of the track that “The Old Man’s House,” trends more toward Star Moles’ self-described “lo-fi, sci-fi, DIY, wi-fi” sound. That is not to say, however, that Star Moles’ sound hasn’t blended disparate sonic elements in the past. Earlier tracks, “White Dwarf” and “Antwürm” in particular seamlessly incorporated electronically-produced abstractions into beautiful soft melodies.
Thus in listening to Star Moles’ deepest descent into psychedelia to date, it is clear that they aren’t stagnant, but rather creating an ever-evolving and unique sound. I hope that as their sound continues to evolve, Star Moles continue to conjure this fun, experimental madness reminiscent of that created in “The Bog” by Shannon and the Clams.” For its songs like these that really allow listeners to expand the boundaries of their musical palettes and redefine our conceptions of various genres.
Yet atop this genre-bending, decade-transcending sound rests “The Old Man’s House’s” vocally distorted lyrics which seem to be poking fun at consumer culture.
The kids come in and take what they can
You know the ghost won’t mind the ghost won’t mind
The kids come in and take what they can
But all the silver spoons have lost their shine
Take what you can and sell it for a dime
However, I believe the somewhat enigmatic nature of the lyrics is part of what makes this song such a great anthem. In their ambiguity, “The Old Man’s House’s” lyrics further allow listeners to create their own meanings.
Ultimately, Star Mole’s “The Old Man’s House,” is the perfect anthem— it’s a lighthearted, danceable standout that can be enjoyed by 60s rock and modern alt fans alike. But more than anything, like all anthems should be, it’s a hell of a lot of fun.
