“After a period of self-imposed ostracization, during which she worried whether she would still be “interesting and captivating” as an artist, Mol decided to rouse herself from her disappointment. ‘Before’ is an alluring rumination and wistful admonition of our past selves. The people we were before, the dreams we had before, the ideals we upheld, the world as we believed it was. Her lyrics capture a bit of knowing detachment: “Clearly, we have both been disengaged.”

But here we get to the heart of the matter: Change. Mol is not scared to push herself - or transform. Some artists worry about alienating fans, or getting too far away from their comfort zone. They can put out the same six chord progressions, album after album, and it’s a great formula for safe success. But not Mol. 

As an individual, Mol has undertaken a sobriety transformation when she quit drinking nearly seven years ago, a change that inherently reverberates throughout her life. And even if she didn’t have something as drastic as that, she’s the kind of curious artist who is willing to exhume the ghost of her past musical self. As she sings, “Willingly, the decision has been made.” 

And now we land at the new version of ‘Before’. Interestingly, these vocals were not recorded super recently - they’re about five-ish years old. Mol was smoking then; her voice holds a bit of a rasp she says she wanted to retain. Those five years still make an impressionable difference. In the original, she was bemoaning consequences, the edges still felt raw. Now, she is telling a story, a cautionary tale, that feels weighty and valuable. Regardless, Mol is respectful of her former self, even while she holds her under a magnifying glass. 

“It’s so cool to look back and reach back to myself,” she says.

The 2024 ‘Before’ arrangement is more mature, more layered, more complex. The production also reflects the “indie” sound of 2024, rather than that of 2014. The surf-y guitar vibes are updated, tighter; the spare quality of the original is filled out here with broader instrumental and effects context. 

Mol still plumbs the same human emotions - jealousy, envy, nostalgia, regret - but there’s a new depth to them, granted not only by virtue of the passage of time, but of personal change and growth. Her lyrical content is likely to be more tender, too, for her longtime listeners; we have also grown up. Perspective is everything.” - Leyla Shokoohe