It’s incredible to live in a world that ends up being so small because of technology. Music is so readily available that sometimes it can even be oversaturating and hard to find something that truly stands out. Greek artist Stella has taken her home country by storm, and I don’t think I would have discovered this gem without help from the internet. Her voice truly stands out and pulls the listener into the music, which mainly floats between mysterious, gritty rock and groovy pop.
Over the past couple of months Stella has been releasing tracks on SoundCloud, all the while turning heads and catching ears. The first single and opening track to the album is “Picking Words.” With its steady, driving bassline, thumping beat and light synth line, Stella’s voice takes on a commanding roll. Most of the instrumentation on this track and throughout the whole album is done by Stella, but this track features some help from Greek producer NTEIBINT. It's definitely one of the best sounding tracks and serves as a great opener for the rest of the album.
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“Made To Attack” was the second track to be announced. Sunny guitars kick off the song which then open up into layers of groovy synths and percussion. It shows off more of her love for the 80s. Consistently running through the album is this vintage sounding element that makes you think that some of these tracks are from a different era. “Made To Attack” is one of the ones that you could totally throw in a mix with Blondie, Eurythmics, or even Siouxsie & the Banshees.
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Earlier this week, EARMILK premiered Stella's track "Repeat." This track is lighter than some of the others. It's more playful and dancey, which is what I really like about the it. In the middle and again toward the end there's a point in the track that breaks into a really groovy part–you can't help but dance.
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The sunny guitars and groovy disco leanings appear again on “The Map” and in a lighter spirit on “Last Minute Boy.” Tracks like “Wait On Me,” “Wet Cigarette,” and “Something Real” show a more stripped down style to Stella and break up the upbeat moments of the album. For Stella’s ethereal side, turn to “Detox” and the album’s closer “Libya.” Personally, I like the upbeat and groovy stuff the best, but the great part about Stella is that you love her voice no matter what style the music takes on.
Check out the album in its entirety here on EARMILK and look for it to be released next week on February 24th via Inner Ear Records. It’s available for pre-order now on the label’s site.
Stella
'Stella'
- Inner Ear Records
- February 24, 2015
