28 year old singer songwriter from London, UK, Stella West steps up to the plate with her spaghetti western themed concept and the release of two singles – “Ode to the Devil (Mother Mary)” and “Teddy (No Lover of Mine)” – both taken from what already sounds like a divine collection of awe-inspiring songs, on her upcoming album, “Little Black Book With My Poems In”, coming out on the 3rd of June. All of which is beautifully written, and delivered by one of the most innovative and idiosyncratic new recording artists you will probably listen to this year.
Stella’s musical influences are vast. Her parents being separated, Stella captured the sounds of The Rolling Stones, Guns N Roses and Pink Floyd from her mother, and then Otis Redding, Sophia George and Toots and The Maytals, when visiting her father.
Stella West, who was taken out of mainstream education at 14, due to bullying and peer pressure, suffered mental issues for a long time before returning to education in her early twenties. Hence it comes as no surprise that she is able to take listeners on a transcendent journey through subsistence – exploring feelings of sadness, disappointment and loss, as well as addressing the complexities of love, desire and interpersonal relationships, in this unpredictable and often illusionary world.
As a gifted writer, with a natural talent for composing lyrics and poetry, so relatable, they could almost be mistaken for a page written in your personal and private diary, Stella West manages to tap into her emotions and mindset; creating a stirring narrative in “Teddy (No Lover of Mine)” – her inherent penmanship and emotional understanding of the human heart and all of the complexities of the mind is evident for all to hear.
“Where there was once a loving whisper. Now there is rage. Where there was once a tender touch. Is now only hate and shame,” sings Stella West. “Teddy, how can your eyes change? Once a big, grey sky and now black flames. I thought I knew you so well. You can’t be tamed.”
Emotionally powerful and full of impassioned vocals, there’s no doubting the quality and consistency of this record, nor the conviction with which it’s performed. Stella’s unique voice will carry her far and it’s certainly easy to tell when listening to this record.
Stella West’s vocals twist around a deep, dark and ethereal tone which hook, captivate, and hold the listener locked into her Kill Bill-esque world. She sustains a real sense of understated drama throughout “Teddy (No Lover of Mine)”, without ever needing to raise her, almost conversational tone, into a scream. You cannot teach what Stella West has in her voice, it is a unique talent that she was born with.
Stella’s vocal tones, set against the hypnotic beat, and slow jangling guitars, give the song an emotional power which transmits easily when listening. All of which ultimately gives Stella West a real sense of absolute diversity. But not the diversity that made her suffer as a kid, instead this time, it will positively set her far apart, and well above her contemporaries and peers.
OFFICIAL LINKS: WEBSITE – SPOTIFY – ALL SOCIAL MEDIA @stellawestmusic
