Class M Planets Turns Pop Sugar Into Pop ‘Molasses’

The deeper you dive into the world of Portland’s Class M Planets, the more evident it becomes that they are science fiction fans. Aside from the most telling sign — their name — this is evidenced by their commitment to unabridged artistic expression and fantastical musical world-building. On Thursday, the band released a personification of that spirit: “Molasses,” a new single from their forthcoming record, Ravenswood, due out on July 10.

“‘Molasses’ is the kind of song I looked forward to understanding long after it was initially written,” bandleader Adam Goldman told American Songwriter. “I like that I can talk about it forever in the present tense because that is the type of song it was meant to be, one with a fluid meaning that is adaptable for all times. The song talks a lot about teetering a precarious line of self-revelation and chaos. When I first started with it, I didn’t really know what molasses was or what it is used for. I thought it would be a cute metaphor for addiction or would represent some alluring treasure for the senses. I learned that molasses is not a poetic substitute for sugar. As the writing unfolded, I realized that the song was developing an emotional weight. The main hook, ‘the same everlasting’ is a very electric phrase to sing and I like that. I can channel lightning through those words. For us, we flirt with pop music and ‘sugar’ is how one would describe the purified essence of pop music. So perhaps the sweet, dark syrup is a celebration of a different sort. It is a different process of refinery — an exploration of earworms.”

Musically, “Molasses” demonstrates Class M Planets’ free-flowing creativity. Between Goldman’s thin, expressive vocals, the subtle synth padding and the song’s emotional intelligence, the multi-faceted talents of Class M Planets is on full display. 

“I just have always had this imposter syndrome about so many things, and I fear that music is no different,” Goldman said. “Class M Planets is just simply hoping that people out there ‘get it,’ as they say. We think we have something actual to say and that’s important to distinguish that we’re not just making noise — I feel this tremendous fire in me to keep trying to either speak to the present situation or to keep refining a process that may never lead to the perfect universal sentiment. I hope Ravenswood comes across to people. I honestly never used to consider what the listener might be thinking or what they might want. I’ve always just done what I want because I perhaps thought that listeners don’t know what they want until they hear something that they like and can relate to. It was therefore pointless to pander to listeners. However, I have evolved into more of a person devoted to my community and I can’t see now how the music we are creating is separate from our lives and the people in them. Our earlier songs were a bit cerebral in some ways and over time I have come to embrace the heart and I feel less like a scientist and more like an infantryman. I hope that maybe we can use music to connect with people and sometimes we are very much calling out into the void hoping that someone answers.”

Listen to “Molasses” from Class M Planets’ forthcoming LP below: