At first listen, ‘Greetings from the Stardust Motel’ might appear quite coarse and lo-fi, mainly thanks to fuzzy guitar tones and an overall vintage goo common to the whole album. Tracklist opener and lead single ‘Haunting of the Hollywood Hills’ is the perfect evidence of that, combining spacious, psych vocals with a rowdy, chaotic instrumental. ‘Tiki Bar’ shifts gear, taking the record in a mellower, playful direction.
Penned by Californian outfit Strawflower, ‘Greetings from the Stardust Motel’ reveals itself as a pretty nuanced offering. Perhaps that’s not its main feature – indie and surf-pop stylings are – but after an attentive look, it’s easy to spot the melting pot of influences that helps the American creatives reach their sonic zenith.
Speaking about the meaning behind ‘Haunting of the Hollywood Hills’, Strawflower explain: “It’s about being at the spookiest house party of all time. When you’ve had too much to drink or taken the wrong thing, everything seems sinister and out of control”.
Recommended! Discover ‘Greetings from the Stardust Motel’ on Spotify:
