review by Annie Barber
Stella Rose has had a whirlwind year. She’s been part of New York’s underground music scene, has put her stamp on the fashion world – and she’s not done yet. Her father is famous musician Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode, but Stella Rose merits attention as an artist in her own right. Her latest project, an EP called ‘Hollybaby’, is set to be released later this week.
The first single released from the EP, called ‘MS.45’, has a steady metallic, electronica influenced beat and sparse instrumentation, shining a spotlight on Stella Rose’s hypnotic vocals. With lyrics like, “Just light me up / Hold me close / Feel your breath / Down my spine”, this track lays bare the darkness of desire. With a title borrowed from Abel Ferrara’s 1981 horror film, this cinematic track mirrors the brutalist terror of the film in its music and Stella Rose’s vocals.
Title track ‘Hollybaby’, which has also been released as a single, starts with a pulsing beat and guitar riff that cuts in to keep up a grungy groove, which is as eerie and dark as later stage Depeche Mode. Stella Rose’s strong, powerful vocals are high in the mix and showcase her range.
‘Beautiful Twentysomethings’ maintains the dark grunge feel of ‘Hollybaby’ but the swaggering guitar makes it feel more rocky. The track is reminiscent of early Wolf Alice with a grittier edge, owing to the breathy vocals and relentlessness of the guitar.
Stella Rose slows things down for ‘Drugstore Romeo’, with laidback, plaintive guitar which allows the softer and more melodic vocals to take centre stage. Lyrics such as “The kind of blue in you / Is the kind of blue in me”, reveal this track as a Mazzy Star-style love song. The ethereal sound and spoken lyrics during the bridge make this a more hopeful song than others on the EP. The freshly released accompanying video can be viewed here.
The ‘Hollybaby’ EP contains echoes of the past, with hints of PJ Harvey, Duke Spirit and The Stooges. Stella Rose draws on these influences, but manages to create her own unique sound. Enlisting the help of producer Yves Rothman who also worked on her debut album ‘Eyes of Glass’, Stella Rose has created a dark, yet poetic EP. ‘Hollybaby’ is due to be released via KRO Records on December 13th.
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