Golden Apples: Shooting Star [Album Review]

Golden Apples
Shooting Star
Lame-O Records [2025]

“Golden Apples turn collaboration into a kaleidoscope of jangly hooks and lo-fi sparkle on Shooting Star.”

Album Overview: Golden Apples is the Philadelphia project of musician and visual artist Russell Edling. What started as his solo outlet has grown into a loose-knit crew of collaborators who help shape the band’s sound. Across four albums—most recently 2023’s Bananasugarfire—Edling has balanced a love of melodic indie rock with a restless urge to experiment. Shooting Star pushes that evolution forward.

Edling opened up both the writing and the recording process, pulling in friends and tracking songs in a variety of spaces. The result is a 12-song LP that mirrors the patchwork of its creation while landing with a clear, confident vision. It swings from quick, demo-like sketches to full-on indie-pop sweep, exploring anxiety, love, and the persistence of creativity. Even when the subject matter turns dark, the record carries a buoyant spark that ties its many moods together.

Musical Style: Shooting Star stitches together college-rock jangle, psych-rock haze, and bursts of lo-fi pop. Reverb-heavy guitars, vintage organ textures, and Edling’s easygoing vocals give the songs both grit and charm. There’s a fondness for noise-pop crunch, but also room for more delicate, spacey passages that keep you guessing.

Evolution of Sound: Earlier Golden Apples records reflected Edling’s lone-wolf approach. Here, collaboration is the secret sauce. More voices and ideas broaden the palette without losing focus. The band glides between ragged indie rock and airy experiments, sounding equally comfortable in immediate hooks and abstract textures.

Artists with Similar Fire: If you’re into the unpolished pop instincts of Motel Beds, the tuneful craft of Tobin Sprout, the scrappy charm of Sharp Pins, the bedroom sprawl of Car Seat Headrest, the genre-bending curiosity of Alex G, or the raw melodic bite of Sebadoh, you’ll feel right at home.

Pivotal Tracks: “Another Grand Offering for the Swine” sets the stage with a reverb-soaked slow dance and a sly nod to liberation. “Noonday Demon” blends giddy noise and sweet layered harmonies while capturing the confusion of anxiety. “Mind” tips its hat to Lou Reed’s Transformer as it questions what’s real in a time of upheaval. “Freeeee,” inspired by Deerhoof’s Milk Man, pairs watery organ tones with lyrics about breaking through creative barriers. “Happy” works like a slacker-style pep talk that shuts down self-criticism, and “Song for the Record Exchange” dips into proto-punk grit to muse on time and memory. Other standouts—“Ditto,” “Fantasia,” and “Breeze”—stretch into pop-punk, noise-pop, and psych-rock territory, showing off the band’s wide range.

Lyrical Strength: Edling walks the line between personal confession and philosophical reflection. He wrestles with anxiety, creative doubt, and fleeting joy with a dry wit, letting vulnerability and humor sit side by side. Whether confronting inner turmoil or celebrating small victories, his words give Shooting Star a relatable core that lingers long after the last notes fade.

Final Groove: Shooting Star feels like a band catching fire in real time—messy in the best way, yet brimming with confidence and heart. Golden Apples have turned their collaborative spirit into a record that rewards both casual spins and deep dives. If this is the sound of Edling opening the doors wider, the next chapter promises even more dazzle.

GOLDEN APPLES REVIEW HISTORY
Bananasugarfire (2023) / Golden Apples (2022) / Shadowland (2021)

GOLDEN APPLES LINKS
Instagram | Bandcamp | Lame-O Records