Daily Dose: Houndmouth, “Golden Age”

Daily Dose is your daily source for the song you absolutely, positively need to hear every day. Curated by the Paste Music Team.

Out today is “Golden Age”—the title track off Houndmouth’s forthcoming album, their third record in total but the first without Katie Toupin. On Golden Age, out Aug. 3, Houndmouth are reinventing themselves; the four tracks released so far have a strong electronic lean—an easily apparent departure from their previously folk-oriented sound.

“Golden Age” opens with a slow drumbeat and almost immediately resets—a shuddering noise restarting the song with the drums paced at a faster, more natural rhythm. Sharing a name with the album, this track presents itself as a central moment in the record. The lyrics describe a “golden age” of living on the internet and that “you know you gotta be famous.” Even as the band shifts to a more electronic sound, which could be called a popularity of the current “golden age,” Houndmouth is turning away from the style that brought them attention—antsy to find a sound that fits them now. Fun touches include a ringing cowbell, sharp panting and static popping in the background and the quippy line “Miley doesn’t miss you.” Trying to make note of everything that’s happening in the song seems pointless both because there’s so much happening and because nothing feels out of place—layers of typical band instruments and more unusual sounds pulse behind vocalist Matt Myers’ voice while the song glides through a shimmering dimension.

The group gave a teaser of the title track back in May in their album “Making of” video—it’s the video’s intro music. In the video Myers explains that they wanted to explore new styles and techniques on the record and that using the same instrumentation again and again becomes a disservice to their music and creativity: “That [repetition] takes a toll on your ears sonically,” Myers said. Producers Jonathan Rado and Shawn Everett played a large role in bringing to fruition the new sound Houndmouth envisioned—citing Daft Punk and Frank Ocean as some of the band’s inspirations for the new album.

With the album release just one week away, you can pre-order Golden Age here.