Label: Dot Dash Recordings/ Remote Control Records
By Charlie Pinhey
When you think of Stella Donnelly, you’ll likely think of jangly guitars combining with her razor-sharp wit. The Melbourne-based singer-songwriter, who came up through the Australian indie scene with 2019’s ‘Beware Of The Dogs’, has simultaneously stood out for her cool melodies and airy vocals, whilst also calling out abusive and coercive behaviour from men. For those unfamiliar with her lyrical style, ‘Your personality traits don’t count if you put your dick in someone’s face’ from ‘Old Man‘ is a perfect example of how Donnelly’s terse style cuts through the bullshit compared to others who may dance around these subjects.
Now Stella Donnelly is back with her latest album ‘Love And Fortune’. It’s an album which is perhaps Donnelly’s most introspective work to date after deciding to step away from life on the road in 2023, following several intense years touring. ‘Love And Fortune’’s twelve tracks are stitched together with a distinctive honesty following Donnelly’s deep examination of self.
The album’s opener ‘Standing Ovation’ places the listener at the heart of Donnelly’s journey, as she reevaluates her relationship with music and people she once held dear. This is a breakup song for sure, but it’s also everything else. Chilled keys stretch across the track and Donnelly’s vocals echo like an icy breeze, ‘I’m looking at the pressure gauge/To see where you end and I begin.’ The first half of ‘Standing Ovation’ breathes like a reflective scene from a dramatic movie from the eighties, with Donnelly’s vocals becoming more choral as the track progresses. She conveys so much in her voice and raises the stakes with each line, until the second half of the track kicks in with some nimble guitar-work, serving as the vessel for Donnelly to begin unburdening herself.
‘Being Nice’ is the track on the album which is closest to tracks on ‘Beware Of The Dogs’. On the surface, it’s an upbeat track with a cheerful melody. However, underneath the jangly guitars is a bleaker subject in play, as Donnelly copes with being polite to a former friend who she feels resentful towards. Meanwhile, ‘Feel It Change’ is almost a meditative experience where warm guitars wash over the track. Listening to this track again as I write, I’m reminded of 2015’s ‘b’lieve i’m goin down…’ by Kurt Vile in the way that that album too is lovesick and evocative of the Wild West.
‘Love And Fortune‘ is beautifully punctuated with ‘Baths’ and ‘Friend’, two vignettes that serve short reminders as to how much poignancy this album carries, almost as much as ‘Year Of Trouble‘ which drives to the heart of broken love. Donnelly’s vocals climb higher seemingly separating her soul from her body to lay bare to everyone the pain she’s in. The way the words ‘It’s all my fault/ A year of trouble’ are delivered make the listener want to hug this vulnerable person, to speak to her, to see if she’s ok. It’s gut wrenching for both parties.
Yet the album closes out with ‘Laying Low’ with quiet assurance. The track is the perfect ending where the listener and Donnelly can slip away and begin to come to terms with the album as a whole.
It’s a lot to unpack and you might not be back for a listen for a few days, but this album holds a mirror up to your face and, through Donnelly, asks, “How do you feel?”
Listen to ‘Love And Fortune‘ here: