“No one’s ever as lonely as the moon in the sky.” This lyric had me the moment I heard it. It’s one of those timeless lines that seems like it’s always existed, even though it hasn’t been phrased quite like that before. Someone once said that everything goes out of style except for moonlight and love songs. Star Moles’ new record, Three Chimes, At Silent Palace!, has plenty of both. It’s ethereal, wistful, and elegant. It’s perfect for lonely walks to the water on windy nights. It’s the ultimate chilly weather album, which might be why I listened to it so much at beginning of the year. It snuck away from me come spring and summer, but I found the album returning to me recently, now that fall has turned to winter.
It recalls the Disney movie Fantasia: cinematic, romantic, and tinged with dark, dreamy magic. In the soft bright precision of Emily’s voice, you can feel the longing of a true princess. The clever twists and turns in the vocal melodies and chord progressions resemble her wandering through cold and dark medieval corridors. In my eyes, Star Moles is a psychedelic princess poised to be queen. She should be as big as Weyes Blood. With all the airy synths, the album has a “new age” vibe that conjures Kate Bush and Enya, but with a classic American Songbook foundation, that makes it feel like could’ve come from any era. Everything about the record feels carefully considered and lovingly made, from the songcraft to the production to the artwork, videos, and the words surrounding the release. Three Chimes is a winter wonderland.
Josephine Network’s latest single “Tall Buildings” is out now.
