The Moles
Composition Book
Splendid Research Records [2025]
“The Moles return with an off-the-cuff psych-pop excursion that rewards repeated listens.”
Album Overview: The longest-running of Richard Davies’ on-again-off-again musical projects, The Moles are also the most well-known. Their scruffy brand of indie psych-pop has gained a cult following since their first releases appeared in the early 90s , a fan-base that includes Guided by Voices founder Robert Pollard, who collaborated with Davies on the album Jar of Jam / Ton of Bricks (released under the Cosmos moniker in 2009). Now Davies has returned with Composition Book, the third Moles LP of the 21st century (fifth overall) and first to be released on Pollard’s new Splendid Research label.
Musical Style: The Moles’ sound centers around Davies’ catchy songwriting, which is influenced by numerous strains of rock from 60s psychedelic pop to 80s post-punk and everything in between. There’s also some musical DNA from the nearby New Zealand “Dunedin Sound” bands (Davies is from Australia) like The Clean, Tall Dwarfs, and The Bats (who are covered twice on Composition Book).
Evolution of Sound: The artwork for Composition Book takes that title literally, packaging the album with a black and white cover reminiscent of a school notebook (with photos of lyrics scrawled across sheets of lined paper on the insert). But reading it slightly differently, you could see the record as a “composition book” that collects these songs in their purest form—loose, no-frills recordings that capture the spontaneous feel of a band getting each tune on tape as it’s being created. Davies’ vocals—which won’t be to every listener’s taste—are stronger on some tracks than others. But when paired with the airy harmonies of Caroline Schutz and Katherine Poindexter, Davies’ quavering, sometimes grizzled voice gives the songs their wry personality. The rough around the edges approach could put newcomers off at first, but Davies’ songwriting chops ensure the album reveals its charms with subsequent listens.
Artists with Similar Fire: The off-the-cuff vibe that runs through Composition Book feels similar in spirit (if not exactly in sound) to some of the early Jonathan Richman & Modern Lovers records. Along with the aforementioned Dunedin sound bands, there are also touches of former GBV member Tobin Sprout’s jangly DIY pop, and even a little bit of latter-day Ray Davies.
Pivotal Tracks: Album opener “Feel Like A Dollar” sets the mood pretty well with its earworm hook, but it’s the follow-up “Chimes” and mid-album track “Since I Don’t Know When” that really shows Davies’ melodic strengths. “Alvin Hollis” is a piano-driven bit of Kinksian psych-pop, while “Blow Yer Mind” is a fun homage to the familiar music-nerd “do you like [insert band here] discussion. The album ends with a re-write of the Chuck Berry rock standard “Promised Land,” with Davies revamping the lyric to reflect his own experiences.
Lyrical Strength: Composition Book’s lyrics alternate between sincere reflections (“Since I Don’t Know When,” “One Day”) and tongue-in-cheek absurdities (“Rattlesnakes, Vampires, Horse Tribes And Rocket Science,” “Blow Yer Mind”). Much like the rest of the album it’s an interesting contrast that doesn’t work every time, but when it does it clicks like only a Richard Davies song can.
Final Groove: The casual homespun feel of Composition Book means it probably isn’t the place to start if you’re new to The Moles. But if you’ve already fallen under Davies’ spell and are hungry for more, the album is a solid new addition to the band’s catalogue.
RICHARD DAVIES INTERVIEW w/ THE FIRE NOTE
THE MOLES LINKS
Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Splendid Research Records
- Neal Francis: Return To Zero [Album Review] - March 20, 2025
- The Moles: Composition Book [Album Review] - February 25, 2025
- Guided By Voices: Universe Room [Album Review] - February 13, 2025