As the years are wont to be, 2026 has been a gloomy son of a bitch. One can’t help but occasionally, if not often, feel deeply uninspired – fearful of having lost the capacity to ever be deeply moved again. It’s in these dire times that we are beyond blessed to have an artist like Star Moales come along. And while in no means is that meant to suggest the musical project of Philadelphia-based Emily Moales is in any way new, her latest album—the endlessly rewarding and wholly endearing Highway to Hell—feels like the most fully realized work yet from a sacred concern who has amassed a seemingly countless number of releases under her belt since 2017.
Category: Star Moles
Star Moles :: Snack Monster
On Snack Monster, Philadelphia-based artist Emily Moales sets out to explore a self-described “medieval via 1960s folk troubadour” ethos. A literary concept album pipeline inspired by the writings of twelfth century French author Andreas Capellanus, the record glimmers with the most charming benchmarks of Tascam-recorded, warbly bedroom pop. It’s a deliberately stripped down detour compared to previous Star Moles offerings, eschewing synthesizers for a romanticism in the paired down nylon string guitar and vocals.