Watching Holy Golden’s “Lost Island” music video is much like having a lens that peers directly into the past. Shot on 8mm film in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the video centers around a cluster of hand-built Swedish cottages from 1949 called Pleasant Forest Shores. So, a particular sense of wistful nostalgia was the clear intent of director Madelynn De La Rosa after she had taken on the duo’s Leslie Schott and Andrew Valenti’s invitation to come on board for the project. It’s befitting of the song, too, with Holy Golden largely telling the story of one’s coming to terms with growing up while never quite letting go of the daydreams that have always followed us.
Musically, “Lost Island” rests somewhere between old-school country and contemporary dream pop. It embraces a certain twang in Schott’s vocals that do well in telling its tale of reverie, wherein an ethereal collective of guitar-centric riffs carry it closer towards the realm of indie pop. When the line “Who cares anymore?” is so often repeated, it feels more like a call to action for those that do than a question to take at face value. “Lost Island” is a delectable composition with a poignant message to convey. Its delightfully vintage music video is the perfect vehicle to carry its story forward.
“Lost Island” is from Holy Golden’s forthcoming album, Sleepwalkers in the Milky Way.